Millie DeRiggi of Glen Cove celebrates ‘A Beautiful Life in Paintings’ at art show in Sea Cliff

Millie DeRiggi, a 50-year resident of Glen Cove, is often seen giving speeches at local colleges or universities, or speaking at the North Shore Historical Museum to a roomful of residents about one of Glen Cove’s early settlers.

The 85-year-old, the wife of former Mayor Donald DeRiggi, and mother to Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton and Brendan DeRiggi, presented the opening reception for her exhibition, “A Beautiful Life in Paintings,” at the Sea Cliff Arts Council on Jan. 4. The artistic showcase reflects and illuminates the travels, interests and artistic talents of the multifaceted DeRiggi, whose has written a book about the origins of the City of Glen Cove, and focused her doctoral dissertation from Stony Brook University on the early Quaker settlers of Long Island.

She is a graduate of Chestnut Hill College, where she studied science and history, which fostered her creative spark and love of history. She first assisted in helping to stretch canvases.

“The idea was just to get history,” DeRiggi said. “Not to judge but to understand. Understanding the past is the way to understand the present.”

DeRiggi attended the University of Delaware where she received her master’s in history. Upon her graduation, she became one of three question and answer writers for the legendary quiz shows “Jeopardy!”

It was her extensive background in history that led show runners to hire her immediately. She also wrote for “G.E. College Bowl” during the 1960s.

After giving birth to DeRiggi-Whitton, DeRiggi took a break from working to be primarily a stay-at-home mom. She also worked as an adjunct professor at Molloy College and Long Island University.

When her children were in high school, DeRiggi served as historian for the Nassau County Museum Division and director of its collection at the Long Island Studies Institute at Hofstra University from the 1990s until 2003. She went on to earn her PhD in history at SUNY at Stony Brook.

Many of the exhibits are reflections of places DeRiggi has visited with her family throughout the years. Water, the Italian countryside, her grandchildren, and historic landmarks inspire many of paintings.

During a phone interview with the Herald, DeRiggi’s husband, Donald, recalled a vacation to Galveston, TX. that inspired a still life painting depicting the couple’s balcony from their trip.

“We had read a book about the hurricane which had killed 8,000 people in 1908,” DeRiggi said. “It was ironic that we were having a bottle of wine where a tremendous devastation occurred.”

DeRiggi-Whitton said that although her mother is a well-known writer, she didn’t speak of her art frequently.

“Everybody was surprised at how talented she was because she really only took a couple art classes,” DeRigggi-Whitton said, referring to remarks made at the exhibit opening. “She taught herself, she has an incredible talent.”