1943
Lauren
2015
Lauren Mercier Malcolm
February 11, 1943 — March 24, 2015
Newton - Lauren Mercier Malcolm passed away on Tuesday, March 24th at her home in Newton, Massachusetts. She was an educator, a traveler, a historian, and a lover of languages, cultures,books and ideas.
She was born on February 11, 1943, at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, into a Navy family. She was the oldest of three children and was nicknamed "Peter" after a close family friend. Her family traveled extensively during her childhood, and she lived at various times in Guam, San Diego, Norfolk (VA), Bremerton (WA), Pittsburgh and Hawaii.
Lauren attended high school at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii, graduating in 1960. She loved her time there, and continued to return to Hawaii periodically. She began the study of Japanese while at Punahou, which sparked a lifelong passion for the country, the art, and the people of Japan.
She began college at Wells College in Aurora, New York, and completed her final two years at the University of California, Berkeley, graduating in 1965 with a degree in English Literature. Her daughter, Elisabeth Mercier Snyder, was born in Berkeley in 1965.
As did many who came of age during the 1960's, Lauren felt a strong commitment to equality, opportunity and social justice for all. Between 1965 and 1968 she obtained an elementary teaching certificate. During the student teaching portion of the program she asked to be placed at a school in an underprivileged area, and subsequently taught at the Burbank Elementary School in Hayward, California from 1967 through 1986. The neighborhood was largely Hispanic, and she appreciated the opportunity to speak Spanish and become immersed in the local Mexican-American/Chicano culture. She was treated with great warmth and respect by the families of the children she taught.
She lived outside of Tokyo, Japan, from 1986 through 1995, and served as the Director of Foreign Studies at the Cosmo Forum Language School in Tama Center. While in Japan she developed many close friendships with fellow teachers and students, which she continued to maintain throughout her life.
In 1995 she moved to Massachusetts to be near her family. She obtained a certificate in Museum Studies from Harvard University Extension in 1997, graduating Magna Cum Laude. From 1996 through 2013 she held several positions with the National Park Service at the Longfellow House in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the John F. Kennedy birthplace in Brookline, Massachusetts, including Park Ranger, Museum Technician, Outreach Coordinator and Volunteer.
While at the Longfellow House, she became intimately familiar with the family history and artifacts of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, as well as other prior and subsequent residents of the house. In particular, she was very interested in the life of Henry's son, Charles "Charley" Appleton Longfellow, who lived in Japan for two periods during 1871 through 1873. She helped to catalog and explain many of the items that Charley brought back with him from Japan, and served as a consultant on a book written about this period of Charley's life. She greatly enjoyed her working relationship with the Longfellow House Site Manager, James Shea, and the other rangers and employees there.
She retired from her full time position at the Longfellow House in 2012 to enjoy her hobbies of travel, genealogy, history, knitting and needlework, and cooking for her family. She was devoted to her grandchildren, Pierce Foster and Malcolm Foster.
In 1999 she met Ray Weinmann at an Elderhostel travel program in Scotland. The two were kindred spirits, and continued to travel together throughout the rest of her life, visiting many countries and regions, including Germany, Switzerland, the British Isles, The Netherlands, the American Midwest, and Hawaii.
Lauren was predeceased by her parents, Everett "Sinbad" Allen Malcolm, who was born in Maxwell, New Mexico, and Marian Mercier (Shaffer) Malcolm, born in Providence, Rhode Island.
She is survived by her daughter Elisabeth "Lisa" Snyder and her son-in-law, Jeffrey Foster of Newton, Massachusetts; her brother Howard "Will" Allen Malcolm of Bonny Doon, California; her sister, Sandra "Sandy" Eyre Malcolm of Gresham, Oregon; her grandsons, Pierce and Malcolm Foster, and her beloved companion and travel partner of many years, Ray Weinmann of Port Angeles, Washington.
A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.
Donations in Lauren's memory may be made to the Friends of the Longfellow House, 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 and online at www.friendsoflongfellowhouse.org
She was born on February 11, 1943, at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, into a Navy family. She was the oldest of three children and was nicknamed "Peter" after a close family friend. Her family traveled extensively during her childhood, and she lived at various times in Guam, San Diego, Norfolk (VA), Bremerton (WA), Pittsburgh and Hawaii.
Lauren attended high school at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii, graduating in 1960. She loved her time there, and continued to return to Hawaii periodically. She began the study of Japanese while at Punahou, which sparked a lifelong passion for the country, the art, and the people of Japan.
She began college at Wells College in Aurora, New York, and completed her final two years at the University of California, Berkeley, graduating in 1965 with a degree in English Literature. Her daughter, Elisabeth Mercier Snyder, was born in Berkeley in 1965.
As did many who came of age during the 1960's, Lauren felt a strong commitment to equality, opportunity and social justice for all. Between 1965 and 1968 she obtained an elementary teaching certificate. During the student teaching portion of the program she asked to be placed at a school in an underprivileged area, and subsequently taught at the Burbank Elementary School in Hayward, California from 1967 through 1986. The neighborhood was largely Hispanic, and she appreciated the opportunity to speak Spanish and become immersed in the local Mexican-American/Chicano culture. She was treated with great warmth and respect by the families of the children she taught.
She lived outside of Tokyo, Japan, from 1986 through 1995, and served as the Director of Foreign Studies at the Cosmo Forum Language School in Tama Center. While in Japan she developed many close friendships with fellow teachers and students, which she continued to maintain throughout her life.
In 1995 she moved to Massachusetts to be near her family. She obtained a certificate in Museum Studies from Harvard University Extension in 1997, graduating Magna Cum Laude. From 1996 through 2013 she held several positions with the National Park Service at the Longfellow House in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the John F. Kennedy birthplace in Brookline, Massachusetts, including Park Ranger, Museum Technician, Outreach Coordinator and Volunteer.
While at the Longfellow House, she became intimately familiar with the family history and artifacts of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, as well as other prior and subsequent residents of the house. In particular, she was very interested in the life of Henry's son, Charles "Charley" Appleton Longfellow, who lived in Japan for two periods during 1871 through 1873. She helped to catalog and explain many of the items that Charley brought back with him from Japan, and served as a consultant on a book written about this period of Charley's life. She greatly enjoyed her working relationship with the Longfellow House Site Manager, James Shea, and the other rangers and employees there.
She retired from her full time position at the Longfellow House in 2012 to enjoy her hobbies of travel, genealogy, history, knitting and needlework, and cooking for her family. She was devoted to her grandchildren, Pierce Foster and Malcolm Foster.
In 1999 she met Ray Weinmann at an Elderhostel travel program in Scotland. The two were kindred spirits, and continued to travel together throughout the rest of her life, visiting many countries and regions, including Germany, Switzerland, the British Isles, The Netherlands, the American Midwest, and Hawaii.
Lauren was predeceased by her parents, Everett "Sinbad" Allen Malcolm, who was born in Maxwell, New Mexico, and Marian Mercier (Shaffer) Malcolm, born in Providence, Rhode Island.
She is survived by her daughter Elisabeth "Lisa" Snyder and her son-in-law, Jeffrey Foster of Newton, Massachusetts; her brother Howard "Will" Allen Malcolm of Bonny Doon, California; her sister, Sandra "Sandy" Eyre Malcolm of Gresham, Oregon; her grandsons, Pierce and Malcolm Foster, and her beloved companion and travel partner of many years, Ray Weinmann of Port Angeles, Washington.
A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.
Donations in Lauren's memory may be made to the Friends of the Longfellow House, 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 and online at www.friendsoflongfellowhouse.org
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