Marcia Cornell Glynn left the world on February 22, 2025, after a life filled with service and connection to the Dartmouth and New Bedford communities.
Marcia was born on September 27, 1934, in South Dartmouth to Phillip Howland Cornell and Lillian Cornell (Crossman) on Smith’s Neck.
Marcia attended The New Bedford Institute of Technology. She had a medical research career, working at MIT, Tufts Medical School, and Boston University.
Marcia was immersed deeply in the rich tapestry of her Quaker heritage and its connection to the whaling industry. Her many years of active volunteerism in local historical organizations included sharing her knowledge as a docent at the Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Marcia was a founding member of the Dartmouth Historical & Arts Society, instrumental in the restoration of the New Bedford Meeting House, and served as a founding member of the Beacon Hill Friends House.
She and her brother Philip Russell Cornell transferred the family farm as a protected land trust to The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) and Dartmouth Natural Resource Trust (DNRT) as the Cornell Farm Reservation, so that its beauty could be enjoyed by nature lovers forever. A member of the Agricultural Commission of Dartmouth, she passionately worked to save family farms and preserve open spaces.
Marcia was predeceased by her brother Philip (Russ) Cornell, her sister NancyBergeron (Cornell), and her dear friend Elizabeth (Betty) Miller. Her memory is cherished by her beloved daughter Martha Glynn, her son-in-law Roger Masson, and granddaughter Lillian (Lily) Masson. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Meredith Cornell and many dear friends in the New Bedford Quaker Meeting, as well as the Dartmouth and New Bedford communities.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dartmouth Historical & Arts Society or the New Bedford Friends Meeting.
A memorial celebration of Marcia’s life will be planned in the fall at the New Bedford Friends Meeting.