Lucie Jeanne “Jeannot” Barnes Seymour

Lucie Jeanne “Jeannot” Barnes Seymour, 84, Lawrence, Kansas, passed away on August 1, 2015 at Brandon Woods. An opportunity for friends and family to remember and celebrate her is being planned for Saturday, 7 November 2015, at the Smith Center.
Jeannot was born on 7 August 1930 in Pierrefonds, France, where her father, Russell C. Barnes, a correspondent for Detroit News and her mother, Ruth Constance Ingalls Barnes, an Atchison native, were living.
She graduated from Birmingham (Michigan) High School and attended Western College for Women in Miami, Ohio. She later transferred to Monticello College in Alton, Illinois, to study sculpture under Hillis Arnold.
Jeannot worked professionally as a graphic designer for almost 40 years. While working in Kansas City, first as a greeting card artist for Hallmark and later for an international engineering firm, she met Todd Seymour. They were married on February 9, 1957 and their daughter, Ann Ingalls “Bunny” Seymour, was born in Lawrence in September 1958.
She returned to KU to study sculpture under Elden Tefft and completed her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in 1964 while working at the KU Bookstore.
She was Art Director with the Office of University Relations and its predecessors from 1967 to 1997. During her tenure with the University she designed a number of award-winning publications and was asked to do the artwork for the Chancellor’s Christmas cards. Jeannot was also a two time runner up for Employee of the Year at KU.
In the early 1960’s she worked with members of the Lawrence Arts Guild to establish the first Art in the Park.
A prolific designer, she illustrated several books on Lawrence and KU. She also supported the conversion of the Carnegie Library into the Lawrence Arts Center, actively participated in activities with the Meadowlark 4-H Club, volunteered at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, served in the organization behind Trinity Episcopal Church’s annual Ploughman’s Lunch and designed and produced hand-crafted gifts for Trinity Treasures.
Jeannot was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, Friends in Council, PEO and the University Women’s Club.
She is survived by her husband, Todd, Lawrence; her daughter, Bunny Seymour (Tom Bierlaagh) and grandson Pieter Bierlaagh of Bethesda, Maryland and Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and her brother, John James Ingalls “Jamie” Barnes, of California.
Online condolences may be sent to www.warrenmcelwain.com
Please sign this guestbook at Obituaries.LJWorld.com.