Ursula von Rydingsvard: key obituary facts
Is Ursula von Rydingsvard dead? Yes. Ursula von Rydingsvard died on October 27, 2026, at age 84.
Cause of death: Ursula von Rydingsvard's cause of death was reported as Alzheimer's disease.
What was Ursula von Rydingsvard known for?
She was an American artist (born 1942).
More about Ursula von Rydingsvard
Born: 1 January 1942.
Place of birth: Deensen.
Gender: female.
Occupation: artist, sculptor.
Nationality: United States.
Employer: Yale University.
Awards: Rome Prize, Guggenheim Fellowship, Golden Medal for Merit to Culture.
Spouse: Paul Greengard.
Also known as: Ursula Von Rydingsvärd, Ursula Von Rydingsvard, Ursula von Rydingsvärd.
Known for: Sculpture.
Ursula von Rydingsvard, a German-born American sculptor, died October 27, 2026, aged 84, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.
Born Ursula Karoliszyn in Deensen, Germany, in 1942, she was the daughter of a Polish mother and a Ukrainian father. As a child, she and her six siblings experienced the German occupation of Poland and later spent five years in eight German refugee camps for displaced Poles.
In 1959, with help from Catholic agencies and through the U.S. Marshall Plan, the family emigrated to the United States and settled in Plainville, Connecticut. Von Rydingsvard earned a BA and MA from the University of Miami in Coral Gables in 1965, then received an MFA from Columbia University in 1975. She lived and worked in Brooklyn, New York, and became known for large-scale sculptures influenced by nature, made primarily from cedar and other forms of timber. Her honors included the Rome Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Golden Medal for Merit to Culture. She was also employed by Yale University and was married to Paul Greengard.