Jennifer M. Radford

Jennifer Mary (Dimoline) Radford, formerly a longtime resident of Hamden, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, at age 94.

Jennifer was born on February 17, 1929, in Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), the elder daughter of the late G. Eric Dimoline and Mary D.E. (Shrader) Dimoline. Raised in Ceylon until the age of 13, her family evacuated to England in 1942 on board a ship that, after travelling around Africa, was diverted across the Atlantic to Nova Scotia to collect Canadian troops.

Jennifer graduated from the Abbey School in Reading, England, followed by the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. She was qualified as an Architect in 1952.

After immigrating to the United States in 1954, she began working at the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in New York, where she met her husband Roger Radford, who was also an architect. They lived in Manhattan where their two sons were born. Jennifer retired from full-time architectural practice in 1957 to raise her children and was involved in a variety of volunteer activities in New York before the family relocated to Hamden, CT in 1975.

Intellectual and precise, Jennifer was recognized for her expertise in horticulture and her knowledge of garden history. She was President of the Garden Club of New Haven and traveled extensively to photograph and research historic gardens. Never accepting anything less than excellence, she presented numerous lectures on garden history accompanied by her own slides. Her meticulously researched documentation and photographs of more than a dozen gardens were accepted into the Smithsonian Archive of American Gardens.

Jennifer loved art, classical music and travel.  She was a frequent visitor to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art. For many years, she and Roger enjoyed the summer months visiting the beach, playing tennis or going for a swim at the Madison Beach Club in Madison, CT. In 2008, she and Roger moved to Ashlar Village in Wallingford, CT, and then in 2021, she moved to Stonebridge in Burlington, MA, to be closer to her son.

Truly ahead of her time, Jennifer was a remarkable person who will be lovingly remembered for her strength of spirit and pursuit of perfection.

Jennifer was the beloved wife of the late Roger N. Radford with whom she shared 53 years of marriage. Devoted mother of Simon Radford of Hilo, HI, and Oliver Radford and his husband Stephen Perry of Cambridge, MA. Cherished grandmother of Daniel Radford of Buena Park, CA, and Barbara Radford of Winter Garden, FL. Dear sister of the late Ann Archer. Also survived by three nephews.

Services are private. If you wish, donations in Jennifer’s memory may be made to the Garden Club of New Haven ( https://gardenclubofnewhaven.org ) or to the Sierra Club ( https://www.sierraclub.org/ )