Marsha Beaugrand

1945 – 2010

Marsha Beaugrand, one of our guild’s co-secretaries passed from this life after her brief struggle with lymph cancer on November 21, 2010.  Marsha was an active member of our guild since she joined 3½ years earlier. 

Her husband, Rick Booth, sent the following to be shared with those who knew her.  

“I was sitting on a chair by her bedside holding her hand when Marsha took her last breath at 9:45 PM on November 21st.  So far as I could tell, she never suffered much physically throughout the 9-week ordeal (but she never was much of a complainer, so who can know?).  We both, of course, suffered a great deal emotionally (as I continue to do).    

After she came home from the hospital for the last time on October 21st, we had wonderful support from some exceptional folks from the local Hospice organization, Partners in Care.  Marsha and I had time to talk about the things we needed to talk about, and time to cry about the things we needed to cry about.  I sincerely appreciate all the outpouring of care and support from family and friends.

Marsha didn’t want a funeral or any formal memorial service.  What she did want was for the folks who knew and loved her to gather as they might and take a bit of time to remember her.  I’ll be in touch in a few weeks with the contact folks she provided me to talk about the disposition of all the wonderful things she used in her creative pursuits…spinning, weaving, quilting, knitting, and playing the recorder.                                                             

In the meantime, I’m leaving all of it pretty much just the way she left it.  If anyone is so inclined, a modest donation to the Hospice would certainly be what Marsha would want.  Best wishes to all of you. Rick”

Marsha and her husband, Rick Booth are both retired Navy veterans.  They moved from Virginia, with Marsha having served as a Navy psychologist during her career.  Since joining our guild, Marsha helped to initiate the Spinning Study Group, was a member of the Shadow Weave/Color & Weave group and won The Best of Show for her Shadow Weave scarf at the Deschutes County Fair.  We will miss her wonderful laugh and the inspiration she brought each month, sharing her latest creations during Show and Tell.            

Kay Flynn and Mary Anna Swinnerton met with her husband to inventory everything. With the approval of her husband, we decided to hold a silent auction on everything and give all of the money received to the Guild. That money, about $3500.00, started the Marsha Fund. Many in our guild now have some of the things from that sale. Mary Anna used to enjoy watching her spin on her Majacraft Rose wheel. It is now her favorite wheel and she still often thinks of Marsha and is still inspired by her spinning skills and the special person she was.

Since the Marsha Fund began there has always been about the same amount in it even when it has been used for workshops, programs and even some scholarships for workshops. Those funds helped to create an endowment for the guild.