Marion J. (Mickey) Kinsella, of Music street in West Tisbury, died on August 31 at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital following a brief illness. She was 81.

Mickey was born in Hartford, Conn., on May 16, 1924, the daughter of Dr. Michael A. Kinsella and Dr. Gertrude Johnson Kinsella. She was graduated from New Britain High School and received her bachelor's of fine arts in painting from Syracuse University in 1947.

A sculptor, interior designer and lighting designer, Mickey worked on many Broadway shows with her partner Jean Rosenthal, including West Side Story, Cabaret, Hello Dolly and Barefoot in the Park. Following Jean's death in 1968, Mickey's work took her to the Metropolitan Opera and American Ballet Theatre with partner Nananne Porcher.

Her art -- driftwood assemblies and sculptures -- has been shown at Vineyard galleries (Old Sculpin, The Flea Market and Red Barn Emporium), Capricorn Gallery in New York, the New Britain Museum of American Art, Bushnell Museum and a one-woman show at Bucknell University.

In a Vineyard Gazette article in 1971 Mickey told reporter Phyllis Meras, "That pile of wood is my alphabet, and I have to string the pieces together to make my statement. They're something by themselves, of course, but making them work as language is a fascinating problem." Her bronzes are exquisite studies of the grace and power of the human form.

Mickey will be remembered for her sense of humor and intense loyalty to her New England Patriots, but mostly for her never ending generosity to her family and friends.

She was predeceased by her parents, a sister, Dorothy K. Hubbard, brother Allen J. Kinsella and partners Jean Rosenthal and Nananne Porcher. She is survived by her sister, Betsy K. Powers of Lewisburg, Pa.; nieces Dianne Powers of West Tisbury, Christina VanBuskirk of Millerstown, Pa., Elizabeth Hubbard of Old Saybrook, Conn., and Polly Bassett of Edgartown; and her nephews, Marc Powers of Tampa, Fla., Michael Hubbard of Newington, Conn., Allen S. Kinsella of Goshen, Conn., Dexter Kinsella of Goshen, Conn., Christopher Kinsella of Falls Village, Conn., and their partners and families.

A memorial gathering will be held over the Thanksgiving weekend.