Marjorie L. Platt, 102, died August 5th, in Haddam, Connecticut. Although living her last three years out of state, she was a Rhode Islander at heart, born in Cranston, graduating from Cranston High School, and living most of her life in the Greenwood section of Warwick.
Before her marriage, Marge worked for the Providence Gas Company, but her passion was dance. Beginning in her teenage years and into her twenties, Marge taught ballet and tap while her mother accompanied her on the piano. In the 1950s and 60s she and her husband became involved in square dancing, founding the Friendly Mixers Square Dance Club of which Lloyd was the caller and Marge taught the round dances. They also held very popular weekly square dances for elementary school students. Before retiring in 1983, Marge worked for 20 years as a language lab technician in the Warwick School system, first at Veterans Memorial High School and later at Toll Gate High School. Drawing on her dancing career, she contributed to annual cross-cultural school events by teaching foreign folk dances.
From the 1950’s onward, Marge was a member of the Greenwood Community Church, Presbyterian in Warwick. She served for a time as a deacon and was a member of Circle 5 of the Women’s Association, actively participating in the Circle’s outreach programs. After her husband’s death Marge began volunteering - first for Meals on Wheels and then for West Bay Care Givers, delivering meals and driving others to medical appointments well into her 80s. Some of the best times – for both Marge and her daughters - were spent traveling together, making many trips to England and to national parks in the US, as well as a trip to Paris.
Marge was an avid Boston Celtics and Boston Red Sox fan and was proud to say that she was born in the last year that the Red Sox had won the World Series before they won again in 2004.
Marge was the wife of the late Lloyd G. Platt, the daughter of Irving J. and Mildred A. (Tefft) Lee, the mother of Linda Mathew (Thomas) and Nancy Bockstael (Ivar Strand), the grandmother of Susan Gibbons (Michael) and Thomas Mathew (Kathryn Smart), and great-grandmother of Michaela and Aliya Gibbons.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Saybrook at Haddam, 1556 Saybrook Road, Haddam, CT 06438, which took such loving care of her during the last years of her life.
