Marion B. Rhodes

[ Originally published on: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 ]

SUNDERLAND -- Marion Rhodes, UMass Professor Emeritus of Sunderland, died Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. Marion suffered a stroke at her residence in Sunderland on Sunday, Nov. 1 and was admitted to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton and later moved to UMass Memorial in Worcester. With her own brand of tenacity and faith she struggled for several days to move past her stroke and return to her life in Sunderland. Unfortunately, Marion lost that battle and leaves us with an example of dedication to principle and ''giving back'' from which many of us can benefit.

Born Sept. 23, 1923, to Joseph Brown and Muriel (Porter) Brown of St Louis, Mo., Marion had only recently turned 86 in September. During her early years her family life was influenced significantly by the employment of her father who was a marine engineer on oil tankers. Later, when her father moved from tankers on the Great Lakes to larger vessels plying the Caribbean routes, the family settled in southern Connecticut. There, she was married to Arthur Rhodes, and at the same time commenced studies at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. While working nights in the textile mills of Willimantic, Conn., Marion finally earned a BS in Chemistry at University of Connecticut in 1948.

Although her first love was the science of botany, she realized that post-war America probably had more jobs for chemists than botanists. With that in mind,. she started building a career as a chemistry instructor at University of Connecticut's Waterbury and Hartford branches. The ephemeral market for chemistry instructors brought her to positions in the Agronomy Department, and later the Genetics Department of the University of Connecticut. Her broad scientific experience later allowed her an opportunity as an analytical chemist at University of Massachusetts Experiment Station for Feeds and Fertilizers.

Marion completed her studies toward a masters degree in physical chemistry at the University of Massachusetts in 1960 and then, while teaching part-time at both the UMass and at Anna Maria College in Paxton, she continued on her lifelong pursuit of science by completing a Ph.D. in polymer chemistry in 1966. Following on from her Ph.D., she accepted a full time appointment as an instructor in chemistry at UMass. Two years later, she took a one-year appointment at the Physics Department, University of Bristol, Bristol, England. This was the first of several visiting fellowships and sabbaticals throughout her 40-year career at UMass. Host institutions included Royal Holloway College at the University of London, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, the Optics Institute in Rochester, N.Y., and the Carl Zeiss Laboratory in Thornwood, N.Y.

In 1989, Marion earned the rank of professor in the Chemistry Department of UMass and continued her focus on polymer morphology, the structure of foams and the development of optical microscopy techniques for the analysis of these compounds. As the world turned digital, she developed techniques to interface the optical microscope with quantitative analytical methods of analysis. The applications of her work ranged from material strength in a structural context to the application of foams to enhanced oil recovery.

With the attitude that every month was a new frontier, Marion authored more than 60 professional papers during her career. Modestly committed to the principle that only new findings were worth reporting in literature, she received a variety of awards for scientific excellence to include a National Science Foundation Fellowship, Sigma Xi Award for Research, Fellowship in the American Physical Society as well as the Fachuerband Schaumkunstoffe Award at the 1987 World Congress on Polyurethanes.

Retiring in January 2000, Marion continued her commitment to education in physical chemistry, offering advanced optical microscopy courses to emerging scientists on a ''pro bono'' basis. Even with her continued involvement in graduate course work that continued through the fall semester of 2008, Marion found time for some of her other passions. She continued her key roles in the Optical Microscopy Laboratory, a fee-based revenue laboratory, providing training to industry clients as well as analytical services. At the same time, Marion renewed her love of things botanical and assumed a pivotal role in the volunteer activities of the Botanic Garden at Smith College. Workers at the garden remember that she was always excited about the plants and that excitement was infectious. Eager to learn more and then share what she learned, she often made presentations at volunteer meetings to share what she had been digging up on particular plants or related subjects, such as plant explorers. Marion assembled a notebook on plants of Africa that became a valuable resource to the other volunteers. Her reputation for motivating school groups during tours was unequalled. Although she often admitted to others that she wished that she had studied botany rather than chemistry, she certainly never gave up studying.

Her journey through life was never a singular one focused on only her science. She continuously pursued her interests in ecology and imparted an appreciation for natural systems to both friends and family. An active participant in the arts and community affairs, she served on several university and community advisory boards ranging from innovative trends in education to regional transportation issues. Marion lived the philosophy that the only way to implement change was to be a part of the solution.

Gifted with an innate humility and almost apologetic for many personal achievements, Marion was not only an accomplished chemist and botanist, but a gifted photographer as well. Skilled in both black and white as well as color composition, Marion was equally comfortable with a basic 35mm disposable camera to a tripod mounted Hassalblad. Encouraged by many to develop a portfolio of botanical portraits, she always claimed her work wasn't good enough, and instead used her best photos as note cards to friends and family.

In keeping with her love of botany and the natural habitats of our planet, Marion designed her own retirement home on the western slopes of Mount Toby. Nestled in the mixed pine and hardwood forest so typical of the northeast, her post and beam home demonstrated a commitment to enjoy the things that New Englanders consider their heritage. Determined to live in her forest refuge and pursue her love of things scientific, she insisted that she was just fine ''up on the hill'' with her golden retriever companion. It was there, as she was working on her spring planting list, that an unexpected stroke dismantled her world on Nov. 1. Marion's journey from being a scientifically curious young woman working nights in the textile mill while attending classes during the days, to the status of an uncompromising educator, and internationally recognized physical chemist, is an inspiration to all of us that may perceive limits to what we can be.

In retrospect, there is consolation for all of us that to the very end Marion ''did it her way''. There are few individuals that will be able to look back at more than 80 years of achievement and say they maintained their ideals in the way that Marion did during her journey.

Marion is survived by her son, E.G (Skip) Rhodes and his family in Dallas, Texas. She has two granddaughters, Dr. Yael Varnado-Rhodes in Chicago, Ill., and Victoria Marisela Rhodes in Dallas, Texas. Her golden retriever, Angel, sadly and reluctantly returned to Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue Center in Hudson, where he has found a new home.

Services for Marion will be held Saturday, Nov. 21 at the First Congregational Church, 91 South Main St., Sunderland, MA 01375. Visitation will be held one hour before the service and will commence at 1 p.m. The service will be at 2 and following the service, we will accompany Marion to Riverside Cemetery. Following a brief visit at the graveside, there will be a light refreshments served at the church hall annex (commonly known as the ''chapel'').

Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Wrisley Funeral Home, 90 Sugarloaf St., South Deerfield, MA 01373, Phone Number: (413) 665-4046

 

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