Passed away peacefully at home July 8, 2021, at the age of 98 in Ithaca, N.Y. She was a native of Rochester N.Y. She graduated from the University of Rochester in 1942 at a time when there was a separate women’s campus and a quota on the number of Jewish students admitted. Marcia was subsequently employed as a statistician, working on data that was used to examine the safety of small amounts of radiation on people. She was unaware that this was a part of the Manhattan Project that studied the metabolic effects of radioactive materials through the University of Rochester in the Manhattan Annex of Strong Memorial Hospital.
Marcia was a devoted and loving wife, mother, and grandmother. With her education and energy, Marcia became an avid volunteer. She created the Volunteer Tapists of Monroe County to support visually impaired and learning disabled students, reading textbooks and educational materials onto audiotapes. Recruiting more than 20 volunteer readers, she traveled to every school in Monroe County collecting the teachers’ assignments, audited the tapes for accuracy, and delivered the finished product in time for the students to complete their work. She was grateful for the classroom space provided by Temple Beth El. Marcia also transcribed The Mouth, a bi-monthly disability rights magazine, onto audiotape.
Marcia learned to transcribe into Braille and was accredited by the Library of Congress. She proofread and edited transcribed material before submission to the Library of Congress for publication. Additionally, Marcia read for Rochester Radio Reading Service from 1984-1991, providing readings of local and national newspapers, magazines, and books for people who are print-handicapped. Her work was widely known, and she was honored with several accolades, most notably recognition of 30 years of dedicated service to the sight-impaired community of Temple Beth El and 35 years of continuous service to the National Braille Association. Marcia was a non-traditionalist and an ardent supporter of women’s and all human rights.
Marcia is survived by her daughter Rita (Ted Jones) McCarthy, granddaughter Abby (Phil Officer) McCarthy, and grandson Ian (Ciera Lovitt) McCarthy, and former son-in-law John McCarthy. Among her extended family, several cousins survive. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Sam, and her son Cantor Greg.
Graveside Service will be held on Friday, July 16, 2021, at 11 AM in Mt. Hope Cemetery [CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS]. For those who cannot attend, services will be streamed by clicking HERE before 11 AM on Friday.
