Marian Braswell Dodd

1931 - 2020

Marian Braswell Dodd
November 18, 1931 - November 4, 2020
Raleigh, North Carolina - Marian passed quietly Wednesday afternoon on November 4, 2020 two weeks before her 89th birthday. She was preceded in death by her husband Marshall T Dodd in 2016 after 64 years of marriage. Marian is survived by her daughter Pamela Dodd-Millet of Laguna Hills, CA, her son David Dodd and daughter-in-law Lisa Dodd of Seattle, WA, and her two grandsons Clinton and Calvin Brandel of Marina del Rey, CA.
No public service will be held at this time due to the pandemic. Marian will be interred with her husband at Maplewood Cemetery in Clayton NC with arrangements by McLaurin Funeral Home of Clayton. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Marian's name to SPCA of Wake County (spcawake.org).
Marian was born November 18, 1931 in Wilson NC to Eugene and Sallie Braswell, growing up around Smithfield, NC on the Braswell Farm on NC Highway 210. She attended Smithfield High School, graduating with the Class of 1950. She met Marshall Dodd in Smithfield after high school and they were married in 1952. They moved to Raleigh NC after marriage and raised their two children. Raleigh was always considered home though the family spent short periods in Kinston NC and Lumberton NC moving for work. Marian continued her education at Pembrook College while in Lumberton.
The family returned to Raleigh in 1967 purchasing a home in North Hills and Marian continued her career in NC State government working at the State Legislature and later for the Department of Travel and Tourism. She finished her career working with the State Capitol Foundation where she developed a passion for the restoration and maintenance of North Carolina's State Capitol Building before her retirement in 1994. She and Marshall were active in Downtown Raleigh's First Presbyterian Church for many years and later in life she found fellowship at White Memorial Presbyterian Church.
In retirement, she worked with the Raleigh Women's Club and was an active member of the North Carolina League of Women's Voters, serving as state president 2006 to 2008. One of her favorite activities was attending naturalization services for new US citizens and passing out voter registration forms.