Marjorie Esselen

Esselen, Marjorie b.
Marjorie Boucher Esselen, 92, of Hobe Sound, FL, and formerly of Darien, CT, died on August 15, 2013 at her summer residence in Red Wing, MN. Born on August 30, 1920, in Montclair, NJ, Marjorie was the daughter of John Brownrigg Boucher and Ada Sargent Boucher. Marge's parents were from the Bahamas where they raised their family of five children. Marge graduated from Queens College and worked in Nassau until 1941 when she moved to Miami to take a job with Pan American Airlines. Pan Am became a part of the war effort; Marge was assigned to the US Army Air Transport Command. While Marge was working for the Transport Command, she met Gustavus John Esselen III. They were married on June 24th, 1944. In 1946, they moved to New York and then to Boston. They lived in the Boston area until 1951, moved to New Jersey, and subsequently lived in Pittsburgh for 9 years, ultimately returning to the New York area in Fairfield County in 1964. A very devoted volunteer, Marjorie was a firm believer that children should experience the arts. She was a leader in a program to have school classes attend the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra - a program that grew to include many of the school districts. She also worked to develop a program that shared local artists' works in the public schools. Marge was an avid golfer and an active member of the Metropolitan Women's Golf Association, where she served on a leadership committee to determine slope ratings for women on golf courses in the NY Metro area. Her golf achievements included a women's championship at the Country Club of Darien, many runner-up finishes at both Darien and Wee Burn, and 5 holes in one! Marge and Gus loved to travel. They were fortunate to visit and play golf on six continents. A loving wife, sister, mom, aunt, grandmother and great-grandmother, Marge especially enjoyed spending time with her family. She was preceded in death by Gus, her husband of 63 years, in June, 2007. Her children, Joan Foot (Buck), of Red Wing, MN, Jane Blocker (Tim Poole), of St. Augustine, FL, and Jack Esselen (Cathi) of Bristol, RI, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren survive her. A private service was held immediately following her death and a memorial service will be held in Massachusetts at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the not-for-profit of your choice.