2021. E. Shirley Stedman, a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother, former Town of Amherst employee and cherished pillar of the South Amherst and South Church communities, died peacefully at her home on April 7, 2021. She was 92.

Born in Palmer, Mass., on June 28, 1928, Shirley was the daughter of Edward and Julia (Koziel) Wilk. They planned to name her Shirley Eleanor, but a priest required that it be the other way around to baptize her with a saint’s name. She was still raised as Shirley and always called that; however, she was adamant about including E. at the start of her full name.

Shirley graduated from Palmer High School in 1946 and worked as a legal secretary in Palmer until 1952. She met David Stedman of Amherst on a blind date in 1949; they married in March 1951 and in 1953 started a family that eventually included four children. They built a house in Amherst, then moved to Ware, Mass., for four years before buying back the Amherst house in 1962. Shirley lived there the rest of her life, first amid a close-knit group of relatives and friends and later developing tight bonds with many newer neighbors.

She raised her children largely on her own and put three through college. To help accomplish that, Shirley returned to work in 1972, putting her formidable accounting and bookkeeping skills to use as a clerk in the Amherst town accountant’s office. Her unwavering support for each of her children continued throughout her entire life.

After retiring in 1989, Shirley logged many miles driving to her children’s homes to visit, babysit and play with her grandchildren. She also accompanied their families on numerous vacations, and she was a regular on Amherst Senior Center bus and vacation trips.

Shirley was a passionate fan of the Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots and Celtics. She also cheered on her children at countless youth hockey and baseball games and then high school and adult hockey ones. When the Fenton’s hockey team that sons Terry and Paul played on bought team jackets after winning a league championship, they gave Shirley one inscribed with her name and “#1 Fan.”

She herself enjoyed swimming, ice skating, bike riding and gardening. Into her mid-80s, Shirley walked three miles a day and mowed her lawn on her riding mower. Knitting was a favorite activity; she expertly knit sweaters, scarves, blankets and afghans for family members and friends. She also loved country and polka music, reading and doing jigsaw puzzles and word searches. She had a warm, lively sense of humor and an endearing laugh.

South Church, located within view of her home, was also at the center of Shirley’s life. She was an active member for 68 years. During that time, she served as church secretary, taught Sunday school, was a member of the Ladies’ Benevolent Society, helped distribute the weekly church bulletin and worked at church suppers and coffee hours. Most notably, she knit more than 100 prayer shawls as a dedicated member of the Shawl Ministry. She also met many dear friends through the church.

Shirley was predeceased by her husband David in 1977 and her older sister Irene Wilk, who died in infancy in 1926. She is survived by her brother Edward Wilk of Wilbraham; daughter Diane Rees and her husband James of North Conway, N.H.; son Terry Stedman and his wife Cindy of Jamestown, Tenn.; son Craig Stedman and his wife Laura Nordman of Westborough, Mass.; son Paul Stedman and his partner Alison Paravano of Worcester, Mass.; and daughter-in-law Donna Stedman of Hubbardston, Mass.

She also is survived by eight grandchildren – Trevor and Kevin Rees; Kyle Jenks; Cassandra Murphy; Nathan and Lydia Stedman; and Nelson Jost and Jeremy Stedman – plus six great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Shirley’s family extends its gratitude to the caregivers from Judy’s Angels and Colony Care at Home – particularly Luz Cruz, Nilla Daveiga, Lisa Hresko and Julia Berry – who helped fulfill her wish to live out her life in her home, and to the team at Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice for their assistance, guidance and additional spiritual solace in the last weeks of her life.

An outdoor funeral service with social distancing is planned at South Church on Friday, May 7, at 11 a.m. Donations in Shirley’s memory may be made to South Church Amherst, 1066 South East St., Amherst, MA 01002. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Mrs. Kay F. Butler, 100, of Amherst, died April 3, 2021. She was born June 28, 1920 in Germany, where she was raised and educated. In the 1940s she studied at the Universita per Stranieri in Perugia and at the Universita of Padua in Italy for the equivalent of a M.A. degree in modern languages and literature. In 1950 she immigrated to the United States, followed later by her mother and then her brother.

From 1955 – 1971 Mrs. Butler lived in Amherst where her husband, James W. Butler, was a professor at the University of Massachusetts, designing and managing the language laboratories in Bartlett and Herter Hall, until his death in 1969. She worked in the student counselor’s office at Amherst College from 1958 – 71, when she moved from Bologna, Italy, where she had been offered the job of registrar and admissions officer at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). She lived there until 1981 when she was asked by the Dean of SAIS to become his executive assistant at the school’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., where she retired in 1992. Until her death, she had lived in Amherst since 1999.

She is survived by her three granddaughters, Terry Lemeris Borst, Molly Lemeris and Sally Morton. She is also survived by her six great-grandchildren, Alex Borst, Patrick Borst, James Folta, Leigh Folta, Colin Morton and Lizzie Morton.  

Hadley – Alice Vollinger Bishko, 88 passed away Tuesday April 6, 2021 at her home in Jacksonville, Florida.

Born in Northampton July 18, 1932, she was born the daughter of the late John and Bridget (Donoghue) Vollinger.  

Alice was a dedicated employee at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for over 25 years and also their biggest sports fan.   

Alice married Thomas Michael Bishko in July of 1957.

Alice is survived by her three children; sons Theodre E. Bishko and Timothy M.(Charity) Bishko and daughter Theresa (William) Smoot; her grandsons Bryant and Timothy; her sister-in-law Grace (Sessions) Vollinger; her nieces and nephews Cathy Vollinger, Mary Vollinger, Mike Vollinger and Bob Vollinger.

Alice was preceded in death by her husband Thomas M. Bishko, her brother John J. Vollinger and sister Helen T. Vollinger.

There will be a graveside service at 10:00 AM, at St. Brigid’s Cemetery 86 N Maple Street in Hadley on Wednesday, April 14, 2021.  Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Eileen Morris Fox passed away peacefully on March 23, 2021 with family by her side. She was a loving mother and proud grandmother and great-grandmother.  
Eileen was born in Jacksonville, Florida on November 11, 1924. She was the youngest daughter of David Fielding Morris and Margaret Wilson Morris, from Blackburn and Clitheroe, England.  
 Eileen grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida and it was there she met her future husband, Orvil K. Fox. They were married May 9, 1948 in Daytona Beach. They moved several times throughout their marriage with their children being born in New Jersey and Massachusetts. They eventually settled in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1971, where Eileen remained after the passing of her husband in 1998.   
 Eileen is survived by her four children: Jim Fox and his wife Ariel of Windsor, SC; Robert Fox and his wife Laurie of Winchester, VA; Nancy Guttler and her husband George of Sturbridge, MA; and Alice Fox and her husband David Rogalski of South Deerfield, MA. In addition, she leaves six grandchildren: Hunter, Robert, Jenna, Cady, Emma, and Alaina, and four great-grandchildren, with another due in May. She is also survived by dearly loved nieces and nephews. Eileen was predeceased by her dear husband, Orvil K. Fox and her beloved sisters, Alice Sherwood and Kathleen Luther.  Eileen was also predeceased by her cherished cat, Honey.

 Eileen was a “Rosie the Riveter” during World War II, working on the B-24 Liberator Bomber. In the 1970s, she worked at Kane’s Nursing Home and Amherst Nursing Home as a Nurse’s Aide. She was a talented artist who loved drawing and painting, and an avid reader who enjoyed Native American history. To stay active, she joined a walking club in Amherst and enjoyed dance classes at the Bangs Community Center in Amherst. There were many wonderful stories and memories she shared of growing up in Florida. She loved the mountains of Vermont and the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia from the very first time she saw them. Being with family and friends, and all the laughs she shared with them, were some of her happiest times.

 The family extends their deepest gratitude to all those who took such wonderful care of Eileen during her final journey. We will be forever grateful for the care and support given to her by all those at Linda Manor in Leeds, and Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice. Services will be private.
 In Eileen’s memory, please consider a donation to an animal welfare organization of your choice.

Eileen Morris Fox passed away peacefully on March 23, 2021 with family by her side. She was a loving mother and proud grandmother and great-grandmother.  
Eileen was born in Jacksonville, Florida on November 11, 1924. She was the youngest daughter of David Fielding Morris and Margaret Wilson Morris, from Blackburn and Clitheroe, England.  
 Eileen grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida and it was there she met her future husband, Orvil K. Fox. They were married May 9, 1948 in Daytona Beach. They moved several times throughout their marriage with their children being born in New Jersey and Massachusetts. They eventually settled in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1971, where Eileen remained after the passing of her husband in 1998.   
 Eileen is survived by her four children: Jim Fox and his wife Ariel of Windsor, SC; Robert Fox and his wife Laurie of Winchester, VA; Nancy Guttler and her husband George of Sturbridge, MA; and Alice Fox and her husband David Rogalski of South Deerfield, MA. In addition, she leaves six grandchildren: Hunter, Robert, Jenna, Cady, Emma, and Alaina, and four great-grandchildren, with another due in May. She is also survived by dearly loved nieces and nephews. Eileen was predeceased by her dear husband, Orvil K. Fox and her beloved sisters, Alice Sherwood and Kathleen Luther.  Eileen was also predeceased by her cherished cat, Honey.

 Eileen was a “Rosie the Riveter” during World War II, working on the B-24 Liberator Bomber. In the 1970s, she worked at Kane’s Nursing Home and Amherst Nursing Home as a Nurse’s Aide. She was a talented artist who loved drawing and painting, and an avid reader who enjoyed Native American history. To stay active, she joined a walking club in Amherst and enjoyed dance classes at the Bangs Community Center in Amherst. There were many wonderful stories and memories she shared of growing up in Florida. She loved the mountains of Vermont and the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia from the very first time she saw them. Being with family and friends, and all the laughs she shared with them, were some of her happiest times.

 The family extends their deepest gratitude to all those who took such wonderful care of Eileen during her final journey. We will be forever grateful for the care and support given to her by all those at Linda Manor in Leeds, and Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice. Services will be private.
 In Eileen’s memory, please consider a donation to an animal welfare organization of your choice.

Shirley Anne (Williams) Cowles, 91, of South Amherst died Monday, April 5, 2021 of natural causes at the Fisher Home for Hospice Care in Amherst.  Shirley was born August 29, 1929 in Pelham, Mass. at Mrs. Hamilton’s “Lying In Home” on Harkness Road.  She was the daughter of Leon Eugene Williams and Myrtle Lillian Olds of Belchertown.  She married Homer W. Cowles (deceased) of South Amherst where they raised eight children; Michael Cowles (Nancy Cominoli) of Belchertown, Robert Cowles of Amherst, Susan Crutch (Donald) of Amherst, Dan Cowles of Florida, Andrew Cowles (Jacqui) of Amherst, Nancy Kopec of Turners  Falls, Deborah Zonca (Wayne) of Galena, Illinois and Tim Cowles (deceased) of Amherst.Shirley was a proud graduate of Belchertown High School, class of 1947.  Much of her childhood free time and vacations were spent with her uncle. George Williams in Amherst.  Throughout her life she was involved in many community activities that revolved around the South Congregational Church; Thursday Club, Alpine Garden Club, Sunday school, Church Fair and several church committees.  Shirley was for many years a town meeting member and served on several town boards.Shirley was an avid craftswomen, noted for her knitting, counted cross stitch, needle work and furniture stenciling.  Shirley leaves behind 11 grandchildren;  Brian and Matthew Crutch of Hadley, Jennifer Cadran of Gill, Mass, Julianna Leccese of Northfield, Vermont, Emily and Matt Zonca of Chicago, Illinois, Tim and Leah Eve-Cowles of Amherst, John, Chris and Andy Cowles of Belchertown and 5 great grandchildren. A grave side service will be held Saturday June 26, 2021 at 10:00 am in the South Amherst Cemetery. Donations in her memory may be made to the Fisher Home of Amherst, 1165 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, Mass. 01002. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Betsy Noonan 73, passed away on Sunday, March 21, 2021 after a long illness.

Betsy was born in Providence Rhode Island, on July 23, 1947 to the late Elizabeth A. (Reynolds) Noonan and Martin F. Noonan. Betsy is survived by her sister Mary (Kathy) Noonan of Shutesbury.

Betsy attended the University of Rhode Island where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Science and continue her education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst earning her Master’s in Science and Doctorate in Education.

She began a lifelong career in human services in 1970 working at the Belchertown State School.  In 1981 Betsy left the school to work in the community where she played a pivotal role in building the current Department of Developmental Service’s Community System. Betsy’s ability to problem solve made her the “go to” person.  Her vision, creativity and love of a challenge ranked her a cut above the rest.  She was recognized by the State of Massachusetts in 2001 as a recipient of the prestigious Manuel Carballo Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service. This is the Commonwealth’s highest honor for Executive Department employees.

When it came to her friends there was no one more loyal or more willing to help. Her sense of humor, distinct laugh and hospitality were well known. Betsy loved her home in Shutesbury, enjoying her pool, her dogs, woodworking and gardening. There was probably no better place on earth for Betsy than home.  Summer was her favorite time of year having neighbors and friends over for a swim, a barbecue, some cold beers and a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit.

Betsy will be deeply missed by her sister Kathy, her cousins Ellen Kelley of Montclair New Jersey and Mary Baron of Jacksonville Florida. Friends: Judy and Gerry Pfeffer, Jane and George Tarring, Nancy Geraghty, Marty and Ken Markum, Jim and Kathy Carey, Mary Ann Brennen, Doug McCallum, Al and Barbara Wilbur, Rita Farrel and Michael Broad. A special thanks to Brenda Roberts, Ed Murphy and Charles Sewall. 

A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Brigid Catholic Church, 122 North Pleasant St. Amherst. MA, at 10AM on Monday, April 5, 2021.  A celebration of Betsy’s life will be held at a future date. Donations can be made to either the Shutesbury Firefighters Assoc. PO Box 295 Shutesbury MA 01072 or the Dakin Humane Society, PO Box 6307, Springfield, MA  01101.

Stephen A. Warren, 77, of Deerfield, Massachusetts passed away on March 26, 2021 at home with his wife and daughters by his side. 

Stephen was born in Holyoke on July 19, 1943 to the late Arthur and Madalyn (Howes) Warren. He graduated from Amherst Regional High School Class of 1962. He was an incredible athlete, the leading rusher and scorer in high school football, and earned an honorable mention in the National High School All-American team in 1961. 

He worked as a landscaper digging graves and doing tree removal during high school and always said this was why he was in such great shape for football. He played a season at Maine Central Institute and was a member of the American International College freshman team before he left for active duty with the US Army National Guard in 1963 and served until 1969. He worked for the Massachusetts Port Authority as a power plant operator and a toll collector, always pointing out the bridge he worked at every time he was in Boston. 

Steve retired in 2000 from the University of Massachusetts Police Department as Lieutenant after 30 years of employment. He was one of the first UMass horse patrol officers in 1974, volunteering to ride, having had little experience riding horses. He trained for 100 hours over the summer to be ready for the arrival of Patrick, a Morgan horse. Steve continued 6 hours of horseback riding training per week to teach the horse how to stand still in traffic, to remain calm in crowds, and to maneuver narrow spaces. Later, Steve became Sergeant and then Lieutenant, taking many new recruits under his wing. He was a respected leader in the department. He managed the UMass commencement traffic for years, was the firearms instructor, and provided security for many famous people including Mother Teresa, Christopher Lloyd, Mariah Carey, and Dr. J to name a few. 

He leaves behind his beloved wife and soulmate, Elaine (Blasko) after 53 years of marriage, his daughters Shelly (Tyler) Clark of Greenfield, Beth (Sean) Brady of Hatfield, and Diane (Richard) West of Hadley. He was blessed with a heart transplant in 2005, giving him 15 ½ extra years with his loved ones. He absolutely cherished his six grandchildren Wyatt Clark; Tristan, Stephanie, and Megan West; and Jack and Eleanor Brady, the latter 5 he would never have known without the gift of life from the donor. He taught his grandsons about fishing. He was always full of great advice from his vast hunting and fishing experience (whether it was wanted or not!). Steve glowed when he watched his granddaughters dance their specially choreographed routines just for him. He attended every performance, sporting event, graduation, and award ceremony emanating pride for his offspring. 

The middle of 11 children, Stephen will also be missed by his brothers Arthur (Marion) of Amherst, Michael of Lake Worth, FL, James (Susan) of Amherst, as well as his sisters Marilyn (Joe) Niquette of Ware, Kathleen (George) Ursia and Patricia Begos, both of Lake Worth, FL, and Rita (Jim) Laughnane of Batan Island, SC. In addition to his parents, Stephen was predeceased by his brother Roy, his sisters Joanne Cole and Madalyn J. Kirejczyk. He also leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews.

Steve loved to travel with his wife Elaine. They went to Hawaii, California, and to Florida. He cherished time spent at Gooserocks Beach in Maine and loved to watch shows in Las Vegas, Foxwoods, and Mohegan Sun. Steve always had his favorite slot machine and would never divulge just how much he won (never his losses).

Steve was known for his quick wit, dry humor, and puns. People were drawn to him and he was often heard striking up conversations with anyone who would listen. 

The family would like to express many thanks to the doctors, nurses, and staff at Massachusetts General Hospital and Cooley Dickinson Hospital, too numerous to mention and you know who you are. 

Services for Stephen will be private and held at the convenience of the family. A graveside service will be held Wednesday April 7, 2021 at 10:00 am in St. Brigid’s Cemetery, Hadley.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in honor of Stephen to Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice, PO Box 329, Northampton, MA 01061-0329. 

Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

“The Phantom Tollbooth” Author Norton Juster Dies at 91

Norton Juster, author of “The Phantom Tollbooth,” one of the most beloved children’s books of the past century, died March 8, 2021 at his home in Northampton, Massachusetts. The cause was complications from a recent stroke, said his daughter, Emily Juster.

Remembering his friend and collaborator of more than 60 years, “The Phantom Tollbooth” illustrator and Pulitzer prize-winning cartoonist Jules Feiffer said: “Norton had a twinkle in his eye from the moment we met. He was one of the quickest, smartest, most immediately engaging people I’ve ever known. His singular quality was being mischievous. He saw humor as turning everything on its head. It’s incredible the effect he had on millions of readers who turned ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ into something of a cult or a religion. There aren’t many people who you can look back and say they made a recognizable and real contribution to our culture. Norton was certainly one of them.”

Juster, who began his career as an architect, called himself “an accidental writer.” Yet, over five decades, he produced many highly regarded titles. He wrote and illustrated “The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics” (1963), which was adapted for the screen by MGM and famed animator Chuck Jones and narrated by Robert Morley. It won the 1965 Academy Award for Animated Short Film. In 2017, it was adapted as a musical piece and performed at Carnegie Hall featuring John Lithgow as narrator.

Juster wrote two picture books illustrated by Chris Raschka and inspired by his granddaughter: “The Hello, Goodbye Window” (2005), which won the 2006 Caldecott Medal for its illustrations, and its sequel, “Sourpuss and Sweetie Pie” (2008). Other books include “So Sweet to Labor (1979: later retitled “A Woman’s Place: Yesterday’s Women in Rural America”), “Alberic the Wise and Other Journeys (1965),” “Stark Naked: A Paranomastic Odyssey (1969),” “Otter Nonsense (1982),” illustrated by his friend, Eric Carle, and “As: A Surfeit of Similes (1989).” In 2010, Juster and Feiffer reunited to write and illustrate “The Odious Ogre.” At the time, Juster quipped, “We realized it was such fun working together that we made a pact: we are prepared to do a new book every 50 years.”  He and Stoo Hample received an Emmy Award for the television production of “Children’s Letters to God.”

Yet, of all his books, “The Phantom Tollbooth” (1961) was beloved to countless fans, some of whom named their children Milo after the main character or proudly showed off tattoos of their favorite character. With its playful language and whimsical drawings, the fantasy adventure tale had a cult-like following among readers of all ages and was frequently compared to Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

“Conceived in Brooklyn during the Cold War 1950s, the book is about much more than a bored little boy who travels through a tollbooth to the Lands Beyond to rescue princesses named Rhyme and Reason,” said Hannah Jayanti, director of the 2013 documentary, “The Phantom Tollbooth: Beyond Expectations.” “It’s also about the value of learning, the state of children’s literature, the creative journey and the importance of the written word.” 

Winner of the George C. Stone Centre for Children’s Books Award, “The Phantom Tollbooth” has been translated into many languages and sold almost four million copies since its initial publication. An animated version of the film was produced in 1970 with a live action version directed by Carlos Saldanha reportedly in the works. The 2008 audiobook is narrated by actor David Hyde Pierce while a 2019 version features actor Rainn Wilson. In addition, Juster collaborated with Sheldon Harnick and Arnold Black on a musical adaptation, which premiered at The John F. Kennedy Center in 2007 and went on to be performed in schools and theaters around the country. 

The 50th anniversary edition of the book features an appreciation by Maurice Sendak (which ran in the 35th anniversary edition as well) with celebratory essays by authors Jeanne Birdsall, Michael Chabon, Suzanne Collins, Philip Pullman and Mo Willems; Harvard Law School Professor Martha Minow; Swedish literary critic and academic Maria Nikolajeva; retired school librarian Pat Scales; and retired teacher Bev Walnoha.

The book’s back story may be as interesting as the book itself and is the topic of Jayanti’s documentary (which is being released this week as a gift to Juster’s many fans). In 1957, when Juster returned to the U.S. after serving in the Navy, he got a grant from the Ford Foundation to write a book about urban perceptions. Instead, he began writing a story about “a boy named Milo who didn’t know what to do with himself—not just sometimes, but always.” The story was based on his own childhood and became “The Phantom Tollbooth.” Juster wrote the book while living in a brownstone in Brooklyn Heights and would share drafts with his housemate, a young Village Voice cartoonist named Jules Feiffer, who started producing sketches to illustrate the text.

Juster recounted how early feedback to the draft was that “the vocabulary was too difficult for children” and “fantasy is bad for children; it disorients them.” This was at a time when the country was preoccupied with improving education and literacy through making learning more accessible and less challenging. Yet when the book was published in 1961, the quirky story with its puns and word play became a hit.

Born on June 2, 1929, in Brooklyn, New York, Juster studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. From 1952-53 he was a Fulbright Scholar in city planning at the University of Liverpool’s School of Architecture. After spending three years in the U.S. Navy Civil Engineering Corps, he returned to New York to begin his career as an architect by opening his own firm.  He and his life-long friend, Earl Pope, taught design at Pratt Institute and together joined the founding faculty of Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1970.  At that time, he moved to Buckland, Massachusetts where he and Pope expanded their architectural practice as Juster Pope Frazier. Projects included buildings on the Hampshire, Smith, and Amherst campuses and buildings for Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.

Juster retired from teaching in 1992 and from architecture practice in 1996. Since then, he found great pleasure in writing and speaking at schools, writing conferences and workshops. He serve on the board of Reader to Reader, an organization that supplies books to libraries and schools that do not have funds to purchase their own books. Calling himself “an amateur cook and professional eater,” he also enjoyed long walks and travel, making friends of all ages along the way. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.

Juster’s wife of 54 years, Jeanne, passed away in 2018. He is survived by his daughter Emily and granddaughter Tori, both of Amherst, as well as several sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Juster’s life will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Jones Library or to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, both in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Marion Violet Britt Bak passed away peacefully at the Arbors Assisted Living in Amherst, Massachusetts on March 26, 2021. She was a devoted wife of 64 years, a loving mother and fiercely proud grandmother and great-grandmother.   

She was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on July 20, 1926, the daughter of Michael and Alice Britt, two Irish immigrants who instilled in their family a culture of core values: hard-work, modesty and caring for others.      

Marion proudly lived her entire life in Amherst. She attended Amherst grammar schools and graduated from Amherst High School in 1944. She attended the Katharine Gibbs School in Boston. As a young woman, she embraced her sense of fashion and style, working at Peck and Peck Clothing Store in Northampton prior to marriage and starting her family.

She was blessed with an independent Irish spirit, a strong will and a love of her family – a love that was returned 100-fold.  She was predeceased by her husband, John Bak. They enjoyed a long and happy life, working and living side by side together until his death in 2020.   

She was a supportive, protective and loyal mother to her four children, six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren (and counting). She was affectionally known as Mimi and Nina to the family that adored her.    

Marion is survived by her four children: Susan Hitchcox of Hadley, Peter Bak and his wife Lauren of Marshfield, MA, Paul Kevin Bak and his wife Emily of Greenfield, MA and Terry Bryson and her husband Neil of Westbrook, ME. In addition, she leaves seven grandchildren: Kristen (Hitchcox) Enright and her husband John, Douglas Hitchcox and his wife Alex, Hilary (Bak) Previte and her husband Jake, Matthew Bak and his fiancé Gina Murray, Kayla (Bak) Interlande and her husband Tony, Abigail Bak and her fiancé Josh Johnson, and Kelly White and her husband Lee Terrazas. Finally, she leaves seven beloved great-grandchildren: John, George and Maxwell Enright, Vivian Previte, Calvin Interlande and Ayer and Leonel Terrazas.

Marion was a well-known resident of the town of Amherst, especially in the Crow Hill neighborhood, where she was considered one of the neighborhood Moms to the multiple children who grew up there. She was a woman of strong faith – a pillar member of Saint Brigid’s Church and a member of the Daughters of Isabella. She was known for her endless hours of volunteering her time for those needing a helping hand.

She had a zest for life. She loved dancing with her friends as a member of the Purple Stars, and spending time with her grandchildren in the backyard around the pool. She was an ardent supporter of their interests, and attended multiple events to cheer on and support them. The family barbeques were some of the happiest moments the family shared.      

Marion was predeceased by her sister Alice Childs, brothers Robert and George Britt of Amherst and Henry Britt of South Deerfield.

The family extends their deep gratitude to all those who took such wonderful care of Marion during her final journey. We will be forever grateful for the care and support extended to her by her loyal caregiver and “adopted daughter”, Beth Bachand.

There will be no calling hours. There will be a private family service.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hospice of the Fisher Home, 1165 N Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01002