ROCKPORT: Marion L. (Holman) Leger, 80, died Wednesday, September 26, 2007 in the Addison Gilbert Hospital following a brief illness.
Born in Holyoke, MA on June 23, 1927, she was the daughter of the late Douglas T. and Olive J. (Gallup) Holman.
Marion loved Cape Ann and while studying oil painting with Lester Stevens in the mid 1960’s, she dreamed of returning to Rockport, which she did in 1992, In 1996 she held a very successful one-women show of her work as an oil painter and was photographed by the Gloucester Daily Times painting water lilies a Day’s Pond on Eastern Avenue.
Her avid interest in her genealogy revealed that she had ancestors from Ipswich, Salem and Gloucester. She became a member of the Cape Ann Chapter of the D.A.R. in 1992, served as Regent from 1995-1998 and currently as the Chapter’s Registrar. She later became a member in the Mayflower Society, the Lothropp Family Foundation, Inc. and The Bates Association. Marion easily made many friendships, engaging anyone in conversation about their ancestry and their love of handcrafts. She was known for her many talents as a painter, ceramist, knitter, quilting and tatted edging for handkerchiefs, which she always proudly gave as special gifts to the ones she loved. As a member of the Rockport Congregational Church, she loved to create projects for their annual church bazaars. Her latest project was knitting camouflage “helmet hats” for our troops in Afghanistan thru The Military Families Group at Hansom AFB.
Marions’s infectious joy, friendship and creativity will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
She is survived by four daughters and a son-in-law, Susan Wright of Gloucester, Paula Marquette of Westfield, Nancy and Joseph Bell of Fairfield, VT and Linda Malcovsky of Granville, four grandsons, Jacob Roberts of Ithaca, NY, Michael Marquette and his wife Kelly of Palmer, Joseph Marquette of Agawam, and Alan Brandt of Pittsburgh, PA and two great-grandsons, Zachary Marquette of Florida and Ethan Theel of New York.
An informal remembrance service will be held on Saturday, October 20th in the Rockport Congregational Church at 10 a.m. with refreshments to follow in fellowship hall. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. A private family graveside service will be held at a later date in Granby, MA. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in her memory to HAWC (Help for Abused Women and their Children), 27 Congress St., Salem, MA 01960 or to the charity of one’s choice.