By the family

Apr. 14, 2021: Constance Larmore Tupper passed away peacefully on March 17, 2021, in the Bronxville area home that she and her husband, John K. Tupper, purchased 60 years ago.

Born on April 24, 1931, to May Scott Larmore and Robert M. Larmore, Connie was raised in St. Louis. She began modeling there in her late teens, eventually moving to Bronxville in 1961, three years after her marriage to John. Connie worked in New York for a number of years with The Elder Craftsman, an organization that fostered artists and crafters who were senior citizens, providing them with workspace and marketing assistance.

Connie discovered Orient, New York, in the 1980s, and she and John soon purchased their Village Lane home, where she spent much of her time for over 30 years. Predeceased by her husband in 2009, she is survived by several cousins, nieces, and nephews, as well as countless friends.

Connie was a lifelong philanthropist and a champion of all creatures, great and small. In addition to many other facilities and organizations, she supported a number of animal rescue groups. Connie was an avid patron of the Oysterponds Historical Society, where she volunteered tirelessly for decades. She most enjoyed and will be remembered for her contribution of tremendous ingenuity and time to the annual Christmas benefit. She was solely and modestly responsible for the holiday design and decoration of the Webb House for many years.

Connie seldom asked for help but always offered hers, never took but always gave. Though she appreciated being appreciated, she neither needed nor wanted accolades or praise. Connie's style was classic and elegant, but she was best known for her signature jeans and white turtlenecks. Our memories of her in her Orient yard, hosting group yard sales, gardening, and welcoming conversations with passersby are vivid.

Connie had a ready smile, a joyful and infectious laugh, and a very, very big heart. She was strong and steadfast yet gentle and kind, independent and private yet gregarious and involved. She was an unassuming woman who was outstanding.

With an eye and predilection for antiques, she collected and decorated. With innate creativity, she became a secret and modest painter of landscapes and Victorian florals and turned housewares and furniture into art. She was an animal lover who admitted it was hard for her to pass by even a dead bird on the road, believing that all creatures deserved care and respect, even after death.

Her legacy, however, will be the friendships she nurtured. Her life lesson is that the lines between family and friendship are often blurred and always insignificant. Her "family" extended well beyond bloodlines and ancestry. We will miss her and love her always,

Not surprisingly, Connie asked that there be no services. A private burial took place on March 31 in St. Louis. We know she would be pleased with memorial donations made to the North Fork Anicaml Welfare League, the Orient FD Rescue Squad, or the Oysterponds Historial Society.