Canedy, Norman W. PhD Norman Wigton Canedy, PhD died at 8:35 p.m. on May 4, 2020, at Jones Harrison residence in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he has resided since 2017. He was born September 23, 1926 in Petersburg, Indiana the son of Violet (Yates) and Lyell Wigton Canedy. Shortly after Norman's birth they moved to Mt. Carmel, Illinois where he attended school. He had one younger brother, Donald Gerald, who taught music in high school and college prior to his passing.

While in high school, it was apparent that Norman had artistic talent and the Chicago Art Institute expressed interest in him as a painter and he attended summer school there. After he graduated from high school in 1944, Norman served in the U.S. Navy Air Corps as a radio gunner. Following his military service, he attended Indiana University on the G.I. Bill and received his BA in Painting and Art Education, graduating in 1950. Norman was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity at Indiana University.

Norman married Brenda Kathleen Haram on September 15, 1956, in Marion, Indiana. When they married, Norman changed his middle name from Eugene to Wigton, adopting his father's middle name as his own. They moved to New York City that year where Norman had received a three-year fellowship to train as a museum curator. He also planned to acquire his Master's degree at Columbia University. However, as he was older than the average student and already recognized as a painter, he determined to work directly for his Ph.D. in art history. He chose as the subject of his dissertation, finding and documenting yet unfound sections of the Sketchbook of Girolamo de Carpi, a 16th century Roman artist. The sketchbook had apparently been taken apart and sections were thought to be located in some of the world's major museums and libraries. Norman and Brenda worked in New York during the school years and spent the summers in Europe searching for new parts of the sketchbook. Some of these were located in the Warburg Institute and the British Museum, both in London. Other parts were found in Italy in the cities of Naples, Venice, Florence, and Turin. While at the British Museum, he studied under Philip Pouncey as a museum curator of drawings and prints. Back in the United States, Norman worked with two distinguished art historians, Rudolf Wittkower and Ernst Gombrich.

From New York, Norman's fellowship took him and Brenda to Boston, Philadelphia and London. Norman then accepted an offer from the University of Minnesota where he taught history of Renaissance Art until his retirement. Norman found additional sketchbook sections at the Vatican and was working on this section until his death.

Norman and Brenda's personal art collection was exhibited at the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota in May 1998, titled "A Scholar Collects"

Norman is survived by his devoted wife of 63 years, Brenda; two sisters-in-law, Mary Sydney Matuska of Midland, Michigan and Cynthia Pidgeon and her husband Richard of Fishers, Indiana; as well as two nieces, five nephews and several cousins and their families. He is also survived by devoted "appointed family", Sally Field and Tim Higgins, Hal, Peggy and Claire Galvin, Emily and Sam Flood, and San and Sheila Asato. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother and sister-in-law, Donald and Evelyn Canedy; brother-in-law, Richard Matuska; and two nephews, Todd Canedy and Robert Pidgeon.

Cremation was provided by Washburn-McReavy Funeral Home. Respecting the COVID-19 restrictions, a memorial service celebrating his life will be held on September 23, 2020 at the Minneapolis Women's Club. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may direct memorial contributions to Twin Cities Public Television, 172 East Fourth Street, St. Paul, MN 55101 or Minnesota Public Radio, The Kling Public Media Center, 480 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN 55101.

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