You are invited to honor deceased classmates by putting your memories of them in writing. Remembrances of any length for the website can go to Joanne Cogar, class webmaster, at joanne.c.cogar@gmail.com and more formal tributes (100 word limit) for the Wellesley Magazine to Sandy Asensio Koppen, our class secretary, at twoheadstoo@gmail.com. 

Mary Althouse Eikel. -  July 28, 2023

Mary Althouse Eikel died July 28, 2023 at Silverado Memory Care in Escondido. She was born October 18, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland, where her father Paul Althouse was pastor of Grace Reformed Church. As a small girl she lived in St. Louis with her mother Ora Belle Crow Althouse while her father served as an Army chaplain in the Pacific theater. A brother, Paul Jr., was born in 1943.

After the war, the family settled in Frederick, Maryland, which at the time was a small country town. She lived in the parsonage in the town center, attended local grade schools, was a Girl Scout, and like her father was a Senators and Redskins fan.

Mary graduated in 1958 from Northfield School in Massachusetts in and in 1962 from Wellesley College with a degree in zoology. She worked during her college summers in the lab at Fort Detrick, Maryland. She received a master’s in teaching from Johns Hopkins after which she taught science at Castilleja School in Palo Alto. Upon her return to the East Coast in 1964 she did laboratory work at The Children's Cancer Research Foundation in Boston.

Mary first met Bob Eikel while she was in graduate school at Johns Hopkins, and reconnected with him while living in Boston. They married in June 1967 and moved to New York, where they both worked as management consultants. Mary and Bob moved to San Diego in 1970 for a temporary work assignment, expected to last six months. They soon realized that they didn’t want to move back to New York and the short term visitors became long term residents, living in La Jolla for fifty more years.

Mary completed law school at the University of San Diego in 1974 and began her legal practice as a prosecutor in the San Diego City Attorney’s office. She soon moved to appellate practice and made her career at the Fourth District Court of Appeals, retiring as Principal Attorney in 2003. Mary was a member and chair of the State Bar Commission on Corrections and a member of the Judicial Council Advisory Committee to Study Legislative Proposals on Trial Court Unification. She was contributing editor of the California practice guide to civil appeals and writs and the author of “The California Court of Appeal Step by Step”, which helps self-represented individuals navigate the appellate system.

Mary was a lifelong musician and music lover. As a girl she played piano, sang in the church choir, and once filled in for an ill organist at church on Sunday. After college she appeared productions with The Opera Group of Boston and various Gilbert and Sullivan productions at MIT. She and Bob were patrons of the San Diego Opera, San Diego Symphony Orchestra, and Bach Collegium San Diego.

Mary was unfailingly kind and generous, often stepping into the breach when a colleague, friend, child, or fellow Wellesley alum needed support. She was always ready to open her home to visitors and guests, and hosted countless parties, receptions, and celebrations—at which she was usually to be found cooking in the kitchen—for Bob's railfan friends, her children's rowing teams, international students, and friends-of-friends brought into the fold along the way. She tirelessly managed both her career and her household and excelled at both.

Mary was for many years a faithful member of All Saints Episcopal Church in Hillcrest, and later of St. Michael’s in Carlsbad and St. James By-the-Sea in La Jolla.

Mary is survived by her brother Paul Althouse, of Woolwich, Maine; children Catherine, of San Marcos, and Robert, of West Hartford, Connecticut; and six grandchildren. Funeral services were held at St. James By-the-Sea in La Jolla at 11:00 a.m. on August 24; she will be buried at a later date in Houston.

For more, see https://www.alhiser-comer.com/obituaries/Mary-Eikel/#!/Obituary

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Cynthia Hoffman Livingston - September 5, 2023 

From Erin Bernau, her daughter-in-law

Cynthia Rose Hoffman Livingston died peacefully at her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the evening of September 5, 2023. She was 82 years old and had recently started treatment for cervical cancer. Her family appreciates the care she received from her medical teams at Tufts and Mass General Hospital.

Born in Stamford, Connecticut on December 20, 1940 to Harold and Hyacinthe (nee Kaufman) Hoffman, Cynthia attended Stamford High School, Wellesley College and graduate school at Yale University. She met her future husband, Peter Livingston, when she was a sophomore at Wellesley College and he was attending Yale Medical School. They secretly married in New Hampshire before having a formal wedding in June 1961. At that time, Wellesley required Cynthia to live off campus as a married student, and she would drive to see Peter on weekends in his VW bug. After graduating from Wellesley in 1962, she moved to New Haven to study American History at Yale, where she earned a Master of Arts in Teaching in 1963. 

After they moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cynthia taught history and English at the Palfrey Street School and The Cambridge School of Weston. Their first child, Oliver, was born in 1966, while Peter was a medical resident at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center. Drafted into the US Army, Peter was tragically killed in a helicopter crash in Vietnam in 1968. He had provided psychiatric care to soldiers at Evacuation Hospital at Long Binh, and is the only psychiatrist known to have died in the war.

In 1971, Cynthia married Donald Bacon, who taught English and American Literature at Harvard University. Donald adopted Oliver, and the couple had two sons, Nathaniel and Ethan, before divorcing. Cynthia continued to teach during this time, and was regarded as an outstanding and compassionate teacher at The Cambridge School. After retiring, she taught in Massachusetts state prisons to help inmates receive their GEDs. A lifelong learner and scholar, she later received  a Master of Liberal Arts degree from Harvard University Extension Studies. Cynthia was actively involved in supporting non-profit organizations throughout her life, contributing her energy or serving on the boards of Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, The Mountain School, Emmanuel Music, and Cambridge Hospital.

Cynthia married Dr. Richard Shader, a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology at Tufts University, in 2003. They enjoyed 20 years of marriage together, including shared loves of music, literature, jigsaw puzzles, and world travel. Cynthia and Richard were benefactors and devotees of Boston-area classical music, and often hosted traveling professional performers at their home. Cynthia was an avid reader throughout her life. A coterie of family members and friends looked forward to her suggestions as to the next book to read or a writer to explore.

One of Cynthia’s greatest pleasures was time spent with her grandchildren Sonia, Ellis, Zeke, Camille, Jonah, Abe, and Pete. She often traveled to see them, providing abundant cheerleading, encouragement, and quirky, amusing gifts. She remained a joyous and active presence in their lives until her final day.

Cynthia is survived by her husband, Richard Shader of Cambridge and his extended family; her eldest son Oliver Bacon, his husband, Greg Barnell, and their son, Peter Livingston Barnell, of Oakland, California; her son Nathaniel Bacon, his wife Jeri Wohlberg, and their sons Zeke, Jonah, and Abe Wohlberg of Craftsbury, Vermont; her son Ethan Bernau, his wife Erin Bernau, and their children Ellis and Camille Bernau of Seattle, Washington; and her stepdaughter, Nadia Bacon, of Salzburg, Austria and Nadia’s daughter Sonia McGaffigan of Rochester, New York. She is also survived by brothers Stephen, Jonathan, and Peter Hoffman and their families, and many loving cousins, nieces, and nephews.  She leaves behind numerous friends in the Boston area and all over the globe.

Gifts in her memory may be made to Winsor Music, which provides music outreach and education in the Boston community. A memorial service is planned for later this fall. For more, see https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cynthialivingston

 

Diane Resek - March 19, 2023

Diane Resek, a highly accomplished mathematician, math educator and community volunteer, passed away on March 19th, 2023, at the age of 82. She died peacefully in her home in Berkeley, where she had lived for many years.

Diane was born and raised in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, to J. Verne and Johanna Resek (nee Danzinger) where she grew up with her brother Roger Resek. Diane obtained a BA from Wellesley College and then went on to earn a PhD in Mathematical Logic at the University of California, Berkeley. Diane worked as a mathematics specialist in elementary schools, developed mathematics courses for pre-school and elementary school teachers, and wrote scripts for educational mathematics films. From 1975-2005 she served on the faculty at San Francisco State University as a Professor of Mathematics Education and Logic. During her tenure Diane worked in novel ways with students and teachers, developing innovative curriculum to make math more meaningful and accessible. She helped develop a course called Math Without Fear and an entirely new high school math curriculum called The Interactive Mathematics Program. She published numerous papers and books that continue to influence how math is taught today. Diane worked diligently to increase the number of girls and women in math and science including designing a Math for Girls course and supporting Expanding Your Horizons conferences for young women. Diane was recently nominated for the California Math Council's Edward Beale Award as her far-reaching work continues to impact teachers and students.

Throughout her life, Diane was also deeply involved in various causes that she held dear. In her later years she was an avid volunteer for Food not Bombs, the North Berkeley Neighborhood Group, Ashby Village, Diminshed Capacity Group (DimCap) and Berkeley Path Wanderers. She was the center of social activities for her causes and a beloved member of her community. Diane was regularly surrounded by dozens of loving neighbors, friends, and fellow volunteers.

Diane's final party, which she organized and attended, was a celebration of her life that captured her spirit of generosity, warmth, and humor.

Diane is survived by her niece, Lisa (Jeffrey) (nee Resek) Peck, nephews Maxwell and Reuben Peck, her loving cat Jo-Jo, and her many close friends who all mourn her loss deeply.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Food not Bombs or Pancan (Pancreatic Cancer Research)in Diane's memory.

Nancy Carter Ziegenbein - January 20, 2023

BANGOR – Nancy C. Ziegenbein, 82, passed away January 20, 2023, at a local nursing home. She was born March 31, 1940, in Fort Worth, Texas, the daughter of Jack and Margaret (Banks) Carter.

Nancy grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, graduating from Paschal High School, Class of 1958. Shortly after, she graduated from Wellesley College, Class of 1962. Nancy was active in her community, serving All Souls Congregational Church, Bangor, in any way she could, and served in multiple capacities at the Bangor Symphony Orchestra.

Nancy was predeceased by her husband of over 60 years, Don Ziegenbein. She is survived by her brothers, Lawrence Carter, of Texas, and Jack Carter, of Louisiana; sons, Wilson Ziegenbein and his wife, Joan Patterson; their children, Eve, Sam and Anna, all of Virginia, and Craig Ziegenbein and his fiancée, Kim Lynch; and his children, Ryan Ziegenbein, of Bangor, Maine, and Colin Ziegenbein, of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In keeping with the family’s wishes, services will be private. Those who wish to remember Nancy in a special way may make gifts in her memory to All Souls Congregational Church, 10 Broadway, Bangor ME 04401.

Susan Bassett Southall  -  January 18, 2023

Susan B. Southall, 81, of Elmore, Vermont, died Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, after an 8-month battle with pancreatic cancer.  She was born in 1941 to Reginald and Linda Bassett. She went to Brearley School and Wellesley College and received a degree in biochemistry. She worked in medical research for one year and then taught math and general science for 10 years. She then moved to Missouri for two years where she received a master’s degree in math and computer science. She also received her private pilot’s license in 1971.

She moved to Vermont in 1973 with her husband, Henry Southall, MD, and worked in his office doing medical billing for many years. Later, she worked as a lister in Elmore for 20 years until she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in May 2022.

Susan loved to fix things and build things and if she couldn’t find what she wanted, she would “conjure up” something that would work. She loved Nantucket and had a house in Sconset from 1945 to 1991. She liked downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, tennis and ping pong.

She was predeceased by her parents; and her former partner, Catrina Noyes. She is survived by her ex-husband, Henry Southall; and her best friend of 50 years and partner, Martha Wiltshire. Honoring her wishes, there will be no service. Donations can be made to the Copley Hospital infusion clinic or Lamoille Home Health and Hospice.

Frances Denier Ablondi - February 8, 2023

On Wednesday, February 8, 2023, Frances Denier Ablondi of Bethesda, MD was called home by the Lord.  She was the beloved wife of the late Frederick R. Ablondi for 58 years; loving mother of Frederick R. Ablondi, Jr. (Susan), David D. Ablondi (Rachel), Steven C. Ablondi (Heather), and Melissa A. Ablondi; grandmother of Eileen, Timothy, Elizabeth, Matthew, Christopher, Andrew, Jacob, Amelia, Ava, Jenna, Abigail, Bethany, Olivia, and Naomi.

Frances graduated from Wellesley College in 1962.  She volunteered with many organizations, including St. Bartholomew Church, Meals on Wheels, and the Christ Child Society.                                                                                                                                      
Friends will be received at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, 6900 River Road, Bethesda, MD on Monday, February 27, 2023 from 10 AM until time of Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her name to Catholic Charities, Washington, D.C.

Gretchen Glasscock  -  Aug 25, 2022 

       Gretchen Glasscock was Chief Executive Officer at AdvancingTexasWine.com, and the author of Texas Wine Pioneers, How Texas Upset The World Wine Stage And Continues to Redefine It.
       Gretchen Glasscock founded AdvancingTexasWine.com; was founding web publisher at the original version of AdvancingWomen.com, is a past member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO-San Antonio) & served as financial news editor for Hearst. She co-founded Advancing Women in Leadership Journal, first on-line professional, refereed journal for women in leadership. On March 30, 2016, Glasscock was honored by Texas A&M and their Educational Leadership Research Center for her donation of The Advancing Women in Leadership Journal, to continue its research and empowerment of women for future generations https://journals.tdl.org/awl/index.php/awl/index. Glasscock has developed, executed and advised the strategic direction for websites for professional and business organizations, universities and software developers in the U.S. & Europe.
       Glasscock’s websites have won Lycos Top 5% Award, Dow Jones Award, Beatrice-Yahoo Top Site, and WWWomen Best of Net, listed in Femina as a top women’s career site; have been featured in Elle, Self, Women and Success, and Fast Company magazines, Access, a Sunday Supplement, Business Class, an Australian magazine, & the San Antonio Business Journal.
       Glasscock attended Wellesley College, graduated from Columbia University, New York City, took courses at Wharton School of Business. Glasscock has published and spoken on business and career issues internationally; has provided content to Fortune 500 companies like Citibank and Hearst; has been published internationally by Cambridge University Press, by universities, military academies, medical and business societies, and financial organizations in Australia, India, and Saudi Arabia and translated into Mandarin Chinese, reaching a Chinese audience of over 2 million.
       Previously, after managing her family's South Texas ranches, Glasscock led passage of the Texas Farm Winery Act, the foundation for the contemporary Texas wine industry; & planted the first commercial, premium wine grape, Vinifera vineyard in Texas. She is currently releasing a book in hardcover, paperback, ebook and soon to be in audio: Texas Wine Pioneers, How Texas Upset the World Wine Stage and Continues to Redefine It. The true story of a woman-rancher-turned-grape-princess, the world’s foremost wine scholar and a legendary winemaker.

Link to Gretchen's Legacy information:  https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sanantonio/name/gretchen-glasscock-obituary?id=36339752

Irene "Renie" Stifel Smith  -  July 23, 2022

Irene Smith passed away from progressive neurologic disease on July 23 in the company of family in Oberlin, Ohio. She was the devoted wife for over 50 years to her high school sweetheart, David Smith, who predeceased her in 2015. She is survived by their children and their spouses: Greg Smith and Kerry Connell (New Canaan, CT), Ellie and Walid Khuri (Washington, DC), and Claire and Todd Posius (Cleveland, OH).  She adored and was cherished by four grandchildren: Shea and Delaney Smith, and Anthony and Helen Khuri.

Renie was born to the late Dr. Richard and Loretta Stifel in Shaker Heights, OH. She attended Shaker Heights High School and then studied at Wellesley College, where she earned a B.A. in Mathematics in 1962. She formed close and lasting friendships at both schools, and Renie was a proud and active Wellesley alumna lifelong.  

After college, Renie used her mathematical talent to work at IBM as one of the first women at the company, as highlighted in a 1960s Plain Dealer profile about Renie’s pioneering job.  During their early married years, Dave pursued academic studies around the country. Renie enjoyed their many adventures from coast to coast and took advantage of the opportunity to work in multiple IBM offices -- including in Cleveland, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Boston. But their favorite location was Cleveland, where they moved back to raise their three children. 

Renie returned to her work with computers in the 1980s when she recognized a need for laypeople to understand how to use early personal computers. She hosted classes in her home teaching personal computing to neighbors and friends. She also worked as an instructor of computer skills at Sawyer College of Business, where she made strong and fulfilling connections with her students. 

Over the years, Renie has volunteered in various roles for numerous organizations.  She has always been generous with her time and determined to use her intellect, management skills, and initiative to make a significant impact on the organizations she joined. She held leadership positions at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the Cleveland Wellesley Club, the Laurel School Parents Association, and the Intown Club.  Additionally, she was a committed parishioner and Deacon at Fairmount Presbyterian Church, an enthusiast of the Cleveland Orchestra, and an insightful contributor to her book and garden clubs.

Renie was deeply nourished by her love of animals and the outdoors.  The Smith home was always full of pet animals, and Renie found opportunities to be around horses throughout her life -- from childhood riding lessons and stable jobs to Smith Family dude ranch vacations in Montana, to lifelong weekly trail rides in the Cleveland countryside.  When at home, Renie was usually walking her dog in the neighborhood or tending to her beautiful garden.  In retirement, Renie and Dave traveled the world together, visiting family and friends. But they always loved to come back to Chatfield Drive in Cleveland Heights, their home of 40 years, and their neighbors who became many of their dearest friends.

Renie opened her home and heart to family and friends of all ages. Many of her children’s friends and peers remember being “adopted” by the Smith family.  Renie was happiest with their swimming pool full of neighbors and with a full house of family and friends for whom she could bake her chocolate chip cookies or famous cupcakes.  Renie will be remembered by so many for her generosity and her caring nature.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Renie’s memory to the Natural Resources Defense Council (www.nrdc.org) or the Nature Conservancy (https://www.nature.org/en-us/). Memorial services will be held at a later date. Details will be published at www.brown-forward.com.

Susan Standish  Brown  -  June 20, 2022

Dr. Susan “Sue” and “Suki” Crosby Brown (nee Standish) was born in West Hartford, CT on June 20th, 1941, and died on June 10th, 2022 in Portland, OR due to complications from Lewy Body Dementia. She was the daughter of Erland Myles Standish and Hilda Crosby Standish, and she grew up in West Hartford, CT. She was predeceased by her parents and her husband, Robert James Brown (married from 1965 until his death in 1993). Sue is survived by her son, William Brown, and his wife, Tammy Hurt, and her daughter, Jen Brown, and

by her four siblings and their spouses: Nancy Kline, Myles Standish Jr (Jeannine), Jared Standish (Jane), and Richard Standish (Dorothy), and her long-term partner, Ray Amsinger.

Sue was passionate about education – she was a lifelong learner, avid student, and dedicated educator. She attended West Hartford's Sedgewick School from K-9th grade and Hall High School in 10th and 11th grades, graduated high school from Loomis Chaffee in 1958, and graduated from Wellesley College in 1962 with a BA in History. She taught elementary school in the Hartford area for a year after graduation then took a position at the American Community School (ACS) in Beirut, Lebanon in 1963. Later she was the principal of the Pakistan Embassy School in Jakarta, Indonesia in the late 70s. She received a Masters in Education from Oglethorpe University in 1983 and a Doctorate in Education from University of Central Florida (UCF) in 1993. Sue specialized in multi-cultural education and classroom strategies and applied her knowledge and experience for the betterment of school systems and education wherever she lived. As a Professor of Education she taught at Elmira College, University of Portland, and her alma mater, UCF, before retiring.

Sue's childhood in West Hartford was full of activities and she became a constant traveler thanks to her parents and the many trips they took as a family. With her kids and husband Bob, who was a Canadian foreign service officer, Sue traveled and lived in many countries throughout her life, making her home in the US, Canada, Lebanon, Australia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Italy before settling down in Portland, OR. She loved to read, particularly mystery novels, and had a good eye for photography. In later years with her partner Ray, they enjoyed many outdoor adventures with the Bergfreunde club as well as cultural and social events (never enough Pinochle to be had!).

In remembrance of Sue's life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to Teach for America, Lewy Body Dementia Association, or Planned Parenthood.

Please sign guestbook at courant.com/obituaries

Martha Reardon Bewick  - June 20, 2022

Martha Reardon Bewick, age 81, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 20, 2022, at the Pat Roche Hospice Home in Hingham, MA.

Martha led a joyous, vibrantly full life in constant connection with her family and many treasured friends from across the world. She embraced any opportunity to celebrate her loved ones, showering them with poetry and song, thoughtful gifts and chocolate delicacies. She reveled in her Irish and German heritage, organizing Reardon, Cashman and Leich family reunions at home and abroad, and singing Irish ballads and German Christmas carols with equal enthusiasm. She was known by all for her intellect, humanity and sincere care for others. Friends and family often sought her out for her sound and wise advice or, if she was unavailable, pondered WWMD: “What would Martha do?”

Martha was the eldest child of the Hon. Paul Cashman and Ann Leich Reardon. She grew up in Quincy, MA, near to her grandparents and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. After graduating from Thayer Academy and Wellesley College, Martha lived for several years in Cambridge before buying a wonderful bungalow on Otis Hill overlooking Hingham harbor. She loved her home and happily shared it for 15 years with her late husband John A. Bewick.

After college, following five years as a textbook editor at Houghton Mifflin, Martha became the Manager of Business and Transportation at the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. She managed the startup of the Hingham-to-Boston commuter ferry and personally pursued its enhancement and viability until her death. That success resulted in Martha being appointed Associate Commissioner of the Massachusetts DPW by Governor Ed King. Simultaneously she was named Board Secretary of the International Marine Transit Association, a position she held for more than 20 years, traveling the world on behalf of increased ferry service. 

In 1987 she founded Harbor Consultancy International, focusing on ferry system planning and design. Martha’s firm belief in Hingham’s vigorous ferry service prompted her and husband John to lead the fight against the development of the MBTA Greenbush train service to the South Shore as an over-expensive, unnecessary burden to the ferry system. They lost the battle but won the concession that the trains pass through Hingham Square in a tunnel. This past year, Martha was also asked to represent the Town of Hingham on the MBTA Advisory Board, to which she enthusiastically agreed in hopes of continuing to protect and champion the Boston Harbor ferry system she so believed in.

Along with her ferry transportation work, another of Martha’s lifelong passions was music, and she found many venues through which to share her musical talents. She was a performer in the Cambridge Revels for many years, and a cantor at St Paul’s Church in Hingham for more than four decades. She was also a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Festival Chorus from 2006 to 2022, and greatly enjoyed summers in the Berkshires while performing at Tanglewood. 

In her later years, Martha turned her focus to history, researching and writing a book for the Hingham Historical Commission. Tranquility Grove, The Great Abolitionist Picnic of 1844, published in 2018, detailed an extraordinary Hingham event at which an estimated 10,000 visitors gathered to hear the speeches of Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips, all ardent abolitionists. Martha’s book also suggested how the town could better maintain and interpret the land of Tranquility Grove in the future. At the time of her death, Martha was actively collaborating with landscape, history and fundraising professionals on a plan to turn the grove into a significant historic site and park.

Martha was a fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and served on multiple non-profit boards, including that of the Cambridge Revels, South Shore Conservatory, Thayer Academy, Pilgrim Society and Plimoth Plantation. She also remained very active within the alumnae organization of Wellesley College, maintaining regular contact with her many Wellesley peers as secretary of the class of 1962. Just this past May, she helped to organize her class’s 60^th reunion. Her final words in her Wellesley class reunion book provide an apt summary of her active and empathetic approach to life: “my wish for us all is that we may enjoy blessed lives, and good health, and continue to contribute to shaping the good world.”

Martha was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Ann Reardon; siblings Bobby Reardon and Jane Reardon Labys; and beloved husband, John A. Bewick.

Tribute from Sue Wheeler Mason '62, Martha's good friend since childhood: 

Martha celebrated life: her life, her family's lives, and her friends' lives. No event was insignificant. She was optimistic, non-judgmental, and the most generous person I have ever known. She connected people. She was the heart of the Class of 1962. She was a rock star who brought kindness and joy wherever she went. We are all mourning her loss.

Tribute from Patricia (Pat) Dickey Spencer '62, Martha's college roommate  

We are all grieving Martha's death;  she was such a wonderful friend, her energy, smile, humor, good will, her inclusivity, her honor-- she was special.  It was Martha who in a very real sense herded us all together, especially those like me who strayed from the flock.  Roommates at Wellesley in Tower Court, we lived and learned our different schedules and styles with loyalty and friendly jousting. For many years, we enjoyed our close friendship and wonderful correspondence.  Just recently, this spring,  we were reminiscing about her mum's Indian Pudding and my visit at her family home for Thanksgiving so many years ago.  It will be hard to know she's not in the world any longer, always making it better and happier for all.

Tribute from Joan Foedisch Adibi

When I learned at our reunion that my dear friend Martha was gravely ill, I was undone. Whom would I telephone when I was down or uncertain? Would it never be possible again to be cheered by her laugh and her outrageous speculations? To whom would I turn to discuss important decisions and smile about people and places we had shared? Who would encourage me to step out and speak up and do the right thing? She is irreplaceable.

I am so grateful that I knew her. What a remarkable person. Throughout her life she wrote poems that captured the essence of her observations. The culmination of her writing is the book about Tranquility Grove. She did amazing research to bring that historic event to life.

Martha had several profound losses: first the death of her little brother and then her sister’s tragic death in the TWA crash over Long Island. The latter made her question her future. She recounted that it helped her to open her heart to receive the love of the man who became her partner and her prince. John Bewick and Martha shared everything: their love of family and history and travel and cooking and eating. She was passionate about ferryboats and made a career as a consultant in that field. John shared that love too. They supported each other in pushing for the realization of this form of transportation in the Boston Harbor. Martha celebrated each day with entries and photographs on Facebook that she shared with all of her family and many friends.

Martha was a true friend. Martha played this role over and over again in my life, being my moral compass and nudging me toward goodness, toward being a more loving person. She was often my conscience reminding me to look at the other side of an issue, not having to win the argument.

Since losing Martha, I have felt rudderless and alone. Now coming together with her family and our classmates for her memorial service, I feel hope. She would not have moped or wallowed in self- pity. When I reached her in hospice, I heard her say, “I’m trying.” She would not have given up. She gave a wonderful example of continuing with her life of writing and singing and caring about each of us. The memory of her kind “sed ministrare” life lives on.

Marcia E. Burick -  June 5, 2022

 

Marcia E. Burick of Leeds, Massachusetts died peacefully in her sleep Saturday, June 5, 2022 after celebrating her 60th college reunion at Wellesley College surrounded by lifelong friends and classmates. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1962 with a major in Political Science. She was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1940 to Simon and Rachel Burick. She graduated from Fairview High School and was always connected to family and friends in Dayton.

Upon graduation from Wellesley, Marcia was the recipient of two Mai Ling Soong prizes, which allowed her to attend a NATO Youth Conference in the south of France. She then joined the staff of the Press and Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Mission to the U.N., under the leadership of Ambassador Adlai E. Stevenson in September 1962, just a few weeks before the Cuban Missile Crisis. She spent much of the next decade raising children, Ken and Dan, and embracing her new home in Northampton where she moved to in 1968. Marcia became active in politics and community services. During that time, she was also working as a press director and speech writer for such organizations as Planned Parenthood of New York City, the Institute for International Education, The Fund for Peace and, occasionally, for the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. She used to say that she drifted to the job of Press Officer for the visit of the Chinese Table Tennis Team to the United States in Spring 1972 after the National Committee, a non-governmental organization, asked the U.S. Table Team Association, then in China in Spring 1971 at the invitation of Premier Zhou En-Lai, to invite the Chinese team to make a return visit to the U.S. in 1972, the beginning of U.S.-China Relations. She traveled with the teams throughout the U.S. in April 1972. After moving to Northampton, she earned an M.A. in Urban Studies at Smith College and wrote her thesis on Hong Kong Resettlement Housing, having received the Mary Elvira Stevens Fellowship for Wellesley alumni for travel and research abroad.

 
In 1980 she became chief aide to the Mayor of Northampton for a number of interesting years in local government and, during breaks, was able to organize and conduct several tours of the world. Although she worked and traveled the world extensively, Northampton was her home. She was deeply involved and committed to the community, its people, and its institutions. She was a longtime and active member of Congregation B’nai Israel and was a staple at every political function. Her home in Fairway Village, Leeds, was her home base and she entertained friends from all over the world and spent time with her close friends in the neighborhood.

 
She worked for many years, often under USIS or USAID auspices, consulting on social services or teaching government best practices in such places as the Baltics, Poland, Nigeria, Gaza, South Africa, and ran a program over several years for the Institute for Training and Development for government officials in Indonesia. 
She is survived by her son Ken and daughter-in-law Amanda and her grand-children

Samantha and Nathaniel. She is also survived by hundreds of devoted friends locally and globally. Marcia was known for her incredible warmth and generosity and will be dearly missed by all. Her husband, Edward McColgan, passed away earlier this year. Her memory will be a blessing and her acts of kindness and good deeds will live on in this community and around the world. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. Funeral service will be at Congregation B’nai Israel on Tuesday at 1 pm. CZELUSNIAK FUNERAL HOME IS IN CHARGE, please go to czelusniakfuneralhome.com for online condolences. 

Tribute to Marcia from her Wellesley roommate, Carol Tropp Schreiber

Marcia had said recently that her happiest life experience was her four years as a
Wellesley student. Marcia's life at Wellesley was filled with accomplishments,
academic and college-wide. She was a political science major; worked with key
members of the political science faculty. She was a writer of the 62 Junior Show.
She was elected President of College Government.

After Wellesley graduation, she moved to New York with fellow Junior
Show composer, Nora Ephron, who remained a life-long friend. In NYC,
Marcia worked for Adlai Stevenson at the US Mission for the UN. Working for
Adlai Stevenson was a source of great pride. Among other positions, she worked
for Planned Parenthood of New York. She was particularly proud of the Planned
Parenthood placards she developed and arranged to be placed throughout the
NYC subway system. This was a meaningful social statement in 1965.

In 1968, Marcia moved with her family to Northampton, MA where sons Ken and
Dan grew up. She earned an M.A. in Urban Studies at Smith College. As her sons
matured, she took on different assignments, one of which was as Chief Aide to
the Mayor of Northampton. In that position she initiated projects to improve
Northampton economically. She was also active in Democratic politics in western
MA. Different work included developing, leading trips, tours to China, plus Roots
trips to Eastern Europe. She arranged for and escorted the Chinese Ping Pong
team tour of the US, a highly publicized event. Her achievements were local and
global.

During her years of global group travel, she developed an increasing number of
colleagues, friends throughout the US and the world. These relationships
flourished through her later years, when she continued to communicate with
friends, recent and long-term, regularly. Marcia's priority was always people, and
her many relationships. She nurtured family, friends, colleagues, neighbors. She
called, corresponded, stayed in touch. She was my Wellesley College roommate,
a very close friend for 64 years. We were like sisters. I miss her in my life.

 

Suzanne Brassard Patterson. -  3/2/2022

Click on Suzanne Brassard Patterson  for more information  

 

Denny Tytus Young. -  10/13/2021

Clkck on Denny Tytus Young for obituary