Concord------Marjorie C. Center, 90, a longtime resident of Laconia, died peacefully on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at Havenwood-Heritage Heights in Concord, NH.
Marjorie was born in Pittsfield, MA, one of two children of the late Pauline and Fred Cahall. She received a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Bates College in 1943.
In 1943 she married her college sweetheart, Gilbert S. Center of Colebrook, NH, and they celebrated 67 years of marriage until his death in February 2011.
Marjorie worked as a welfare worker for the Maine Department of Health and Welfare in 1943 before following Gil with US Navy east coast assignments during WWII. After his tour she lived in Huntington, MA before working at the University of New Hampshire library in Durham, NH in 1946-47 while her husband was earning a master’s degree. They then moved to Laconia where they resided for 61 years.
Marjorie worked nearly 42 years as a librarian at Gale Memorial Library until her retirement in 1989. She will be remembered by many Laconians for her involvement with the library bookmobile, which was in service for about 20 years and for her outreach to the people at area nursing and retirement homes. For years she took collections of carefully selected books to residents of these homes. She also was very involved with children’s reading programs during the Bicentennial celebration in the mid-1970’s.
Her hobbies included reading, sewing, crewelwork, and traveling with her husband.
Marjorie especially loved music and playing the piano. She served as Choir Director of the South Baptist Church in Laconia for 35 years from 1960 – 1995 and had particular interest with American Baptist Churches home and world mission support.
Marjorie is survived by her son, Robert Center and his wife Kay of Waitsfield, VT and children, Carrie Henry of Underhill, Vermont and Dana Henry of Winona, MN; her daughter, Jodi Center of Lynchburg, VA; her brother, Robert Cahall and his wife Betty of Santa Ana, CA, nieces, Claudia Keeley of Windsor, CT, Deborah Adams of Schenectady, NY and Holly Davidson of Scotia, NY and cousin, Gail Ginthwain of Dalton, MA
A memorial service will be conducted on August 23, 2011 at 1:00 pm at the Congregational Church of Laconia, 69 Pleasant Street, Laconia, N.H.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in Marjorie’s name to the Laconia Public Library, a place she treasured, 695 Main St., Laconia, NH 03246.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, N. H. is assisting the family. For more information and to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.