Marie A. Nelson

1937 - 2020

Marie A. Nelson (nee Tozzi), 83, of Middleboro, passed away on November 4, at her home in Middleboro, after a short and courageous battle with cancer. Marie was born in Quincy on April 16, 1937 to the late Louis and Olga Tozzi. Following studies at the Woodard School, she earned the bachelor's of music degree from Boston University. She then taught in Nanuet, NY, and Bremerhaven, Germany, before returning to BU to complete a Master of Music degree. It was at BU where she met Richard Nelson, her husband of 45 years. Marie taught piano at home, and was a driving force as a faculty member in the Music Department at UMASS Dartmouth. She was a notable presence in the music education community of Southeastern Massachusetts, placing graduates in area schools. While at UMASS, she organized a group of Engineering students who traveled to Jamasi (Ghana) and built an eco-sustainable primary school for the local children. After retiring from UMASS, she was instrumental in the design of the Master of Music Program at The Longy School of Music at Bard College. That program drew inspiration from El Sistema, and was a reflection of Marie's desire to enact social justice through music. Launched in the fall of 2020, the program reaches out to underserved children. In addition to music, Marie's passions included volunteering, charity work, travel, knitting, and keeping up with her grandchildren's activities. She was the mother of Jon, his wife Robyn, and grandmother of Jon-Marcos and Diego, all of Amherst, N.Y.; mother of Kristina (Nelson) Jennings, her husband Steve, and grandmother of Matthew and Meghan, all of Nashville, TN; sister of Louis Tozzi, his wife Paulette, of Marshfield, their daughter Amanda Dinitz, her husband Adam, and their son Zachary, all of Houston, TX; and cousin of Doreen Giordani, her son Michael, Paul Berrini and Lana Harries. The family will receive friends at Dahlborg-MacNevin Funeral Home, at 280 Bedford St. (Rte. 18), Lakeville on Monday, December 28, 2020 from 2-5 p.m. Further details will be published as the date approaches. At the family's request, in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Marie's memory may be given to Old Colony Hospice at 321 Manley Street, West Bridgewater, MA 02379. To send a condolence to the family or for directions please visit www.d-mfh.com