Margery Atherton

Margery Bugbee Atherton, 93, passed away peacefully on September 12, 2025, at her home in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. She was known for her philanthropic spirit, enthusiasm for sports, reading, and travel, as well as her joyful commitment to her family and friends.

Born in Boston in 1932 to Wilhelmina Ross Bugbee and Percy Bugbee, Marge grew up in Winchester, Massachusetts. She graduated from Winchester High School and earned her associate's degree from Colby Junior College (now Colby-Sawyer College) in 1952. While at Colby, she met Selwyn Atherton, a senior at Dartmouth College. They married in 1952, going on to share a 65-year marriage.

Marge and Sel lived in Manhattan and in Maine before settling in Richmond, Massachusetts. There, Marge became active in the Berkshire division of the American Heart Association, eventually serving as board chair. One of her most successful fund-raising events was "Art for Heart," an annual sale of paintings and other artworks by area artists. She received the AHA Distinguished Service Award for her fundraising efforts that spanned more than 20 years in the Berkshire and Boston areas.

Once her children were well along in school, Marge went back to college, earning her bachelor's degree in philosophy from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and a master's degree in education from Westfield State University.

The family moved to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1990, where Marge would reacquaint herself with her lineage. A direct descendant of Mayflower passenger Richard Warren, she became a Museum Council Member for the Plimoth Patuxet Museums and was a life member of the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants.

In 1995, Marge and Sel began wintering in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, to continue golf and tennis year-round with many wonderful new friends. They initiated an annual bird count at Sugar Mill Country Club, an event that continues today.

Marge had a kindness and love in her heart that constantly shone through her being. She always looked on the bright side of life and saw the inherent goodness in people. A tennis pro once said she gave off "an aura of sunshine." That light, joy, and love will be missed on this earth, but will continue to be remembered and felt by all those fortunate enough to have been touched by this remarkable woman.

She is survived by her children: Alynn Atherton, of New Smyrna Beach, Florida; Lois Atherton and husband Sean Withington; Lee Matinzi and husband Don; Mark Atherton and wife Judith, all of Plymouth, Massachusetts; seven grandchildren: Torie, Ned, Clarke, Ella, Rebecca, Ross and Cole; her sister-in-law Lynne Atherton of Waukegan, Illinois; friend for 89 years Ginger Alexander of Vero Beach, Florida; and former neighbor and friend for 64 years Ruth Bass of Richmond, Massachusetts. She was predeceased by her husband and her brothers, Richard and Alan Bugbee.

Interment in Plymouth, Massachusetts, will be private. Donations in Marge's memory may be made to Plimoth Patuxet Museums, 137 Warren Ave, Plymouth, MA 02360, or Atlantic Center for the Arts, 1414 Art Center Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168. Arrangements were entrusted to the care of the Cartmell-Davis Life Celebration Funeral Homes, Plymouth, Massachusetts.