Dr. Marsha Irene Altschuler, 69, biology professor at Williams College, died on Thursday, September 12, 2019 at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, MA. She was born on April 10, 1950 in Albany, NY, a daughter of the late Samuel and Ellen Lillian (Kloo) Altschuler. She attended schools in Ravena, NY graduating Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School. She then graduated from the University of Rochester with a master's degree and then received her PhD from Indiana University. She was last employed by Williams College as a professor of biology from 1985 until her retirement in 2014. Prior to Williams she did post doctoral referral appointments at Washington University in St. Louis and Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. She was a member of Congregational Beth Israel in North Adams.

Survivors include her three sisters; Susan Perlman of Valley Village, CA, Carole Brown of Ravena, NY and Jean McWilliams of Averill Park, NY as well as a brother, Michael Altschuler of Glenmont, NY. She also leaves nieces and nephews.

FUNERAL NOTICE: Per Dr. Altschuler's request there will be no services. A burial will take place in the Williams Collage Cemetery in Williamstown on Tuesday, September 17, 2019 at 1:00p.m. Flynn and Dagnoli Funeral Home, 74 Marshall Street in North Adams, MA is in charge of arrangements.

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Published by The Berkshire Eagle on Sep. 14, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for Marsha Altschuler

Sponsored by The Berkshire Eagle.

9 Entries

Marijke Vreeswijk

May 11, 2021

We miss you very much and will always remember the nice days we spent with you in 2015. We also visited your mother (my mother Margareta's first cousin). /Marijke and Gösta in Sweden

Bibbi Håkansson

January 21, 2020

Vi kommer att sakna dig Marsha.

Don and Ann Wetmore

September 24, 2019

To All My Cousins, It was a pleasure to know Martha. My Condolences to all of you.

Don and Ann Wetmore

September 24, 2019

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Steve Wetmore

September 16, 2019

I was in awe of my cousin Marsha, 6 years older than me. She seemed to succeed at everything she applied herself to, my wife and I enjoyed our visits with Aunt Ellen and her immensely. We will miss her always....

A special time together for friends of 67 years!

Marilyn Hunter

September 16, 2019

Marsha and I met when we were two years old and our mothers thought we could play together safely because our backyards adjoined across another friendly neighbor's. She had the swing set and the sandbox and lots of siblings so I mostly spent my playtimes over at her house. We formed secret clubs, made sand castles, beat up on her little brother, read comic books and shared our fears and joys.

Marsha was Jewish and I was Catholic, so off I went to St. Patrick's Parish School at age five and she went to public school. We still got together when we could, each of us finding her academic passions and extracurricular priorities. Then, happily, back together in school at RCS!

Of course, there was competition but we just laughed through it. In my mind there was never a doubt that she had it all over me but I had my languages while she loved her science. She was Valedictorian, I was Salutatorian. Our friendship was never in jeopardy. Cheerleading had us working together on a team, the best experience possible for any young person.

Years apart through college, family growth and personal pursuits still did not tarnish our bond. She collected letters, mementos and newspaper articles for all of us, sending them back to us to reinforce our ties from the past. She did monumental cell research and taught countless students in the most respected centers of higher education. She was generous beyond belief with her friends and colleagues through it all. We have lost a remarkable human being.

I am honored and happy that she and I had that wonderful day together at the Clark last Friday. We laughed, we reminisced and we chatted all day.

Edie Brown

September 15, 2019

Marsha was one of my oldest and dearest friends. We worked together at Skidmore College in the 70's and we stayed in touch after she left to finish her PhD. I was thrilled when she moved to Williamstown. I will never forget her and the times we spent together.

Melissa Simmons

September 14, 2019

Marsha and I attended R-C-S together. She was one smart cookie. I enjoyed knowing her. My condolences to her family.

Marsha and me at the Clark, summer 2018. She didn't really want me to take this selfie, but now I'm glad I did.

Jennifer Mach

September 14, 2019

Marsha was my advisor at Williams in the mid-1980's and we stayed in touch over the years. I loved meeting her for lunch when I would visit Williamstown-- her wide interests in science, arts, college and local politics, etc, made for such fun conversations. My condolences to her family and friends-- I will miss her feisty spirit!

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