Engelbreit married phil delano, a social worker, in 1977 In 1986, they formed the company, mary engelbreit studios In 1986, they formed mary engelbreit studios
The couple had two children Engelbreit, of ladue, started a greeting card business in 1983 with her husband, phil delano, that grew into 11 mary engelbreit stores across the country, including one in the st And will, born in 1983.
He met engelbreit in the 1990’s when the artist’s family lived in webster groves My son evan when he was about 7, modeling for my drawing, a man among men She and phil adopted evan’s child after he died Mikayla was only three months old at the time
Mary credits her granddaughter for helping their family to move forward after evan’s death, “she basically saved our lives.” after her son died, mary found herself shifting artistically. Friends who have known engelbreit for decades describe her as generous and genuine From her earliest drawings as a child in st Louis to becoming one of the most recognizable illustrators in america, mary engelbreit’s art has always been about joy, storytelling, and connection.
