Inez Bliven, 97, of Newport, RI passed away on December 20, 2020 at Village House in Newport, RI. Inez was born May 12, 1923 in Newport, RI to Thomas R. Bliven and Ruth Elise Taylor Bliven. Inez had one sister, Ellen Montgomery of New Orleans, LA. Inez is survived by a nephew, James and wife Mary Montgomery of New Orleans, LA and two nieces, Anne Montgomery of Sacramento, CA and Mary Ellen Montgomery of New Orleans, LA and two great nephews: Michael James Montgomery and Nicholas Harlow.
Inez attended Rogers High School and then graduated from Rhode Island College receiving a baccalaureate degree in Education. She began her teaching career at Coggeshall School in Newport, RI but the urge to travel led her to South America. For four years in the 1950’s Inez taught the children of Esso Standard Oil employees in Venezuela. The spirit of adventure continued when Inez was hired by the U.S. Department of Defense and traveled and relocated in Europe as a teacher for the D.O.D’s Dependents Schools. Her service to the children of our military personnel included posts in various countries including France and Spain. She spent the final years of her career in Madrid, Spain before retiring and returning to her beloved Newport.
Inez loved to travel and did so extensively around the world on many wonderful trips, with her D.O.D colleague and lifelong best friend Genevieve (Jan) Klueh, including excursions to St. Petersburg, Russia for a tennis event, to the Wimbledon tennis event in London, and a safari in Africa. Inez and Jan were both passionate animal lovers, especially of cats, and enjoyed caring for them, rescuing them, and volunteering at animal shelters overseas and in Newport. Inez was a tennis enthusiast and enjoyed attending tennis events worldwide, especially her favorite annual event the Newport Hall of Fame Open Tennis Tournament.
She was a member of Emmanuel Church. A memorial service will be held at a later date at Emmanuel Church.
Memorial donations may be made to the Potter League for Animals, 87 Oliphant Lane, Middletown, RI 02842, or by visiting www.potterleague.org/donate
