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Emily Driscoll accomplished by the age of 24 what many don't get done in a lifetime. She had traveled around the world, regaling her family and friends with stories of her adventures. She had carved out a name for herself as a successful artist, with exhibitions in Boston and New York. Her dream to have her own studio was realized just this past February.
"She was so excited about what she was doing in New York," said Maria Williams, a family friend who also teaches at Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Lynn, where Ms. Driscoll was an art teacher.
Ms. Driscoll, a Lynn native, died last Friday in Brooklyn from injuries sustained when she was hit by a car. She would have been 25 next month.
Born in Salem, Ms. Driscoll graduated from Bishop Fenwick High School in 2001. She was a standout athlete at Fenwick - she was captain of the soccer team and played on the basketball team.
She also played on the Williams College women's soccer team for two years, but made the decision to pursue her love of art instead.
"She always had an artistic heart and eye - the soul of an artist," said her father, David. "She was creative as a child, making mudpies for squirrels and making lapel pins for me."
Ms. Driscoll's love of culture led her to travel extensively. During her junior year, she spent time in Italy, choosing to live among the locals rather than in the dormitory with other students.
"She was the type of person who pushed every boundary - she would always push me to do something that was out of my comfort zone, and she wasn't afraid to try anything or go anywhere," said Ms. Driscoll's sister, Jessica Moschetti. "She had been around the world and back, and when she came back she always wanted to share it with you."
Upon returning from Italy, Ms. Driscoll added studio arts as a major. She graduated from Williams in 2005 with a dual degree in American studies and studio arts.
She taught art at Thurgood Marshall for one year, and was well-liked by her students, according to Williams.
"She would tie-dye T-shirts with English language learners to try to teach them the different colors," said Williams. "She had the kids doing innovative, creative projects. She had the kids do 3-D plaster of Paris models that were sculptures of themselves."
Ms. Driscoll was involved in LynnArts and Raw Art. She also had her work displayed at the Gulu-Gulu Cafe in Lynn.
"She approached her art almost like an athlete would approach competition, with preparation and thoughtfulness and planning, but still with a geyser of creativity," said her father. "She had the sensitive, creative soul of an artist but the competitive, lion heart of an athlete."
"It was kind of like being related to a rock star," said her brother, David. "Emily got all the guts. She was tough and she was brave. She was the best."
In addition to her father, sister, and brother, Ms. Driscoll leaves her mother, Rosanne (Benedetto); a younger sister, Abigail, of Lynn; many aunts and uncles; and 30 cousins.
A funeral Mass was said Wednesday in St. Pius V Church, Lynn. Burial was in Harmony Grove Cemetery, Salem.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
