When Lotus Stack joined the small group of visionaries who founded the Textile Society of America on April 3, 1987, she helped ignite a force for connection and scholarship that has thrived for decades. We reflect with immense gratitude on her life and foundational contributions, as we share the news of her peaceful passing at her home in Minneapolis on November 6, 2025.
From that first Advisory Board meeting in 1987 through her service on the inaugural Board of Directors (1988-1990), Lotus helped transform a shared conviction into a lasting organization. With characteristic dedication, she volunteered to host TSA’s first symposium in Minneapolis in September 1988, an event whose success solidified the foundation for all that followed.
Her leadership was a steadying force for the young organization. She served as Vice President (1990-1992) and then as President (1992-1994), guiding TSA through its formative years. Her practical support was equally vital; for many years, she helped ensure the Society’s operational stability. Lotus was deeply invested in the quality and reach of TSA’s scholarship. She initiated early efforts to create a professional bibliography for the field, a project later realized through the work of Mary Mallia and The Textile Museum. She also served with distinction as Chair of the R.L. Shep Memorial Book Award and as a nominator for the Brandford/Elliott Award.
Today, Lotus’s influence remains active within TSA, most visibly through the Founding Presidents Award. Established in 2008 to honor her and her fellow founders—Peggy Gilfoy, Milton Sonday, Mattiebelle Gittinger, and Louise W. Mackie. This award, which supports excellence in textile studies at our symposia, stands as a direct tribute to her original vision: to create a platform for the finest new work and to foster connections across the global textile community.
While her professional accomplishments as the founding Curator of Textiles at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts are celebrated internationally, we within TSA will remember Lotus for her foundational role, her thoughtful stewardship, and her genuine joy in the textile arts. Through the Society she helped to build, that joy continues to be shared, inspiring new generations of scholars, artists, and enthusiasts.
We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and countless colleagues around the world. TSA is honored to be part of Lotus Stack’s extraordinary legacy.
In accordance with her family’s wishes reflecting Lotus’s lifelong dedication to textile scholarship, those in the TSA community who wish to honor her memory are invited to consider a donation to TSA’s Founding Presidents Award. Contributions will directly support emerging voices in the field, perpetuating the vibrant future of the community she was instrumental in creating.
