Marcia Anne Houde Briggs, 76, of Derry, NH passed away on Thursday September 12, 2019 at her home. Mom was our enigmatic adventurer. We grew up knowing that she had gotten her master’s degree from the Sorbonne in Paris in the late ‘60s but it was the offhanded comment about having ridden a camel to visit the pyramids that led us to further investigation. Even though she was never one to spill her story easily, thanks to her we just understood that the world was a place to be explored and enjoyed.
Sometimes the world came to us. Mom was a tireless defender of the rights of immigrant children to have the opportunity to learn English, only recognizing (thanks to Dad’s insight), years into her career as an ESL teacher, that she was an ESL student herself. Mom had grown up in a French-speaking community in central Massachusetts and didn’t learn English until she started school at age six. She was always a champion of the American idea that immigrant cultures enrich our society.
Last year, the town of Derry recognized her for her decades of volunteer work by naming her a Living Treasure, thus confirming something we already knew.
She and Dad were an incredible example of a successful marriage and how to live their faith. Their romance was inspiring, as anyone who has heard their proposal story and how Dad had roses delivered to her around the world as she traveled while he served in Vietnam. Their love of dancing and singing enriched their lives together. The two of them showed us, and all those who knew them, how to love the life you live, care for those around you, and to happily await the next step, where we can all be together again.
She is survived by her Daughter Kate, Son Matt, Daughter-in-law Taylor, and Grandchildren Jack and Cora who will always miss their Memere.
Following cremation, calling hours were held on Friday October 4, 2019 from 5pm-8pm at Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 290 Mammoth St., Londonderry, NH. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Catherine's of Siena Parish, 207 Hemlock St., Manchester, NH on Saturday the 5th at 11:00am. Private burial will follow at a later date in the NH State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, NH. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to The Upper Room, 36 Tsienneto Rd, Derry NH 03038. The memo field of your check should read: “to increase the TIPS budget by ($ donated) amount”.