Nancy Marcus

1950 - 2018

Dr. Nancy Helen Marcus, born May 17, 1950 in New York, NY, passed away peacefully at her home on February 12, 2018 surrounded by family and friends. Dr. Marcus, recently retired Professor and Dean Emerita of the Graduate School of Florida State University, lost her courageous battle with the rare disease uveal melanoma after two years of aggressive treatment.



Nancy was born in New York City to the late Harold T. Marcus and Betty Levy Marcus, of New Rochelle, NY. Nancy grew up in New Rochelle and elected to attend her mother's college, Goucher College, where she graduated in 1972. She continued her academic preparation receiving a Masters and Ph.D. at Yale University in 1976. Nancy did postdoctoral study at the prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for two years before being hired as an Associate Scientist there in 1978. Nancy received a number of postdoctoral Fellowships and arrived at Florida State University as an Associate Professor in Oceanography in 1987 planning to only stay a few years. Thirty years later Nancy retired as Dean of the Graduate School of FSU having set an entirely new standard for future Graduate Deans to follow in mentoring and supporting graduate students.



From serving as the Director of the FSU Marine Laboratory and FSU Sea Grant Coordinator to establishing the Women in Math, Science and Engineering Living & Learning Community and chairing the Department of Oceanography, Nancy worked tirelessly to contribute significantly to multiple areas of FSU. As a scholar Dr. Marcus was responsible for conducting and supervising research and brought in over $5.7 million in contract and grant funding to FSU for her research and graduate students. Her publishing was prolific throughout her career even as she continued to teach both undergraduate and graduate courses and supervise and mentor both masters, doctoral and postdoctoral students. Nancy's work as a Professor was recognized as she was awarded the Mary Sears Professor of Oceanography in 2001, and the Dr. Nancy Marcus Professorship was established in her honor in 2003. Nancy was most proud however of receiving the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Award, the highest honor a faculty member can receive, and subsequently serving on the Lawton, Rhodes, Goldwater and other prestigious academic selection committees. In recognition of the integral part Nancy had in the establishment of the FSU Honors, Scholars and Fellows House in 2014, the main auditorium of that building has been named the Nancy H. Marcus Great Hall.



Nancy's service on academic committees was indicative of her devotion to teaching, learning and supporting diversity within the academy. She gave of her time to Committees on the Status of Women, Living Learning Centers, Committee on Sexual Harassment, Council for Teacher Education, Honors Program Policy, Honorary Degree Selection, Arts and Science Policy, and Women's Studies Advisory Committee among others. Some of her additional academic service activities included participation on the boards of national organizations focused on graduate education, e.g. the Council of Graduate Schools, the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools, and both the GRE and TOEFL Boards. Nancy was a member of numerous national scientific boards and councils and served as President for the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. She was on the Board of Trustees of Goucher College, locally served on the Knight Creative Communities Initiative, and was an invited judge/speaker at local and state science fairs, Kiwanis Clubs, middle and high schools and young scholars programs.



When not working Nancy enjoyed sports both as a participant and fan. If she only had an hour to spare she played tennis or walked the Tallahassee Greenways. If she had a few hours open she cheered on the Lady Seminole sport teams - especially the Volleyball team. If she had about four hours or so available she could beat most of her friends at golf; and if her schedule was clear for a whole day, as a certified boat captain, Nancy would take friends either "fishing" or "boating" depending on the fish. Nancy's favorite activity by far was taking her boat out into the Gulf a short distance and spending hours just piddling around with her fishing poles, her depth finder, her navigation equipment, or whatever was on the boat that needed fine-tuning or fixing. As an exceptionally well-rounded person Nancy cooked gourmet meals for friends, neighbors and the entire FSU Volleyball team on holidays. She traveled widely and planned meticulously in order to experience all that each exotic trip had to offer. Her childhood hobbies included ventriloquism and magic. Throughout her life she collected various dummies and continued to entertain young children and adults as a magician. There was indeed nothing that Nancy could not analyze, figure out and/or repair. Many will miss her countless special skills, talents, and expertise and her quiet, humble, contemplative nature.

Among those Nancy leaves is her devoted partner/spouse of 26 years, Dr. Cecile Reynaud; her mother, Betty Marcus of New Rochelle, NY; her brother, Theodore Marcus (Barbara) of Wayne, NJ; her niece, Jennifer Marcus Santamaria (Jesse) of NYC; her nephew, Jesse Marcus of Cedar Knolls, NJ; and her cousins, Jill Levy Wolpert, Richard Levy and Robert Levy. Nancy was preceded in death by by her father, Harold T. Marcus.



A celebration of life service for Dr. Marcus will be held on Monday, February 26, 2018. The family will receive friends at 3:30 p.m. and the celebration will begin at 4:00 p.m. at the FSU Alumni Center Grand Ballroom located at 1030 W. Tennessee St., Tallahassee, FL 32304. In lieu of flowers the family requests that contributions be made to the Nancy Marcus Endowment for Graduate Student Excellence, Fund #F08577, Florida State University Foundation, 2010 Levy Avenue, P.O. Box 3062739, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2739 or in Nancy's name to Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32308.