Amherst, Marjorie (Midge) Cowles (92) of South Amherst passed away peacefully in her sleep Monday night, March 7, 2016.  She was born in 1923, the last surviving child of Winfred and Jennie (Kentfield) Cowles, of South Amherst.  She is pre-deceased by her brother Homer of South Amherst, Doris of Vancouver, Canada and Rachel (Monty) of Seekonk, Massachusetts and her nephew Tim Cowles of South Amherst.

A graduate of Amherst High School in 1940, she attended and graduated from Massachusetts State College in Amherst in 1944 with a degree in Home Economics.  Upon graduation she held a series of supervisory positions in the food service departments at Dartmouth College, Colby College, the University of Chicago and Yale University.  In 1958 accepted a position with the Massachusetts Department of Education, Bureau of Education and School Food Services eventually working in the Western District of Massachusetts in the School Lunch program for 28 years until her retirement in 1985.

Midge, while she had no children of her own, was a very special Aunt for her many nieces and nephews and she will be sorely missed by them.  She provided many opportunities for learning and fun that would not have been possible otherwise.  She leaves behind her sister-in-law Shirley Cowles of South Amherst, nieces; Sue (Cowles) Crutch and her husband Donald of South Amherst, Nancy (Cowles) Kopec of Shelburne, Mass., and Debbie (Cowles) Zonca and husband Wayne of Highland Park, Illinois, and, nephews; Mike Cowles and his wife Nancy of Belchertown, Bob Cowles of Derby, Vermont (recently of Deerfield, Mass.), Dan Cowles of Cape Coral, Florida,  Andy Cowles and his wife Jacqui of South Amherst and Teddy Monty and his wife Sandy of Cranston, RI. and many great nieces and nephews.

A private burial service will be held at the South Amherst Cemetery during the summer.