In memory of Marcia Lynn Patitz Crabtree, former board member of the Ecolint-American Foundation
We have been informed of the passing of Marcia Crabtree who was a valued member of the Ecolint community. Her children Shona, Tyler, Dwight and Carolynn all attended Ecolint. Marcia was a member of the Ecolint-American Foundation. The family shared the message below.
"It is with great heartbreak that we say goodbye to Marcia Lynn Patitz Crabtree, who passed away on December 16, 2022.
As in life, she was surrounded to the end by her family, her husband of 57 years, Steven Crabtree of Hancock, Maine; her children Shona, Crabtree of Washington, DC; Tyler Crabtree of Houston, TX; Dwight Crabtree of Atyrau, Kazakhstan; and Carolynn Crabtree of Medford, MA; and their respective partners; Alexander Macgillivray, Aimee Woodall, Santi Manuhutu and Julius Rose. Marcia loved her eight grandchildren immensely, and her legacy will live through them.
Marcia was born to Gerhardt Norman Patitz and Carol Fay Neimeyer in Dallas, TX in 1941. She is survived by her two younger siblings: Karen McGraw of Wayland, MA; and Warren Patitz of Greensburg, IN. Marcia grew up in Peekskill, NY; Owensboro, KY; Huntington, WV; and Needham, MA. She met Steve at Needham High School and began their lifelong relationship. She graduated from Needham High School in 1959. After graduating from the University of New Hampshire in 1963, Marcia worked as a junior high school teacher for two years. In the summer of 1964, she walked into the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, NJ, and landed a job as the director of Young Democrats for Lyndon Johnson. Her experience that summer sparked her interest in joining the Peace Corps – a decision that changed the course of her life. After marrying Steve in January 1965, they taught school together for two years in Axum, Ethiopia with the Peace Corps, traveled around Africa, and then returned to Boston, MA for graduate school. After their respective degrees were completed – hers was a Masters in Library Science from Boston University – Marcia and Steve embarked on more than 30 years of living overseas thanks to Steve’s career with Citibank. They lived in Liberia, Lebanon, India, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Puerto Rico, England, and Switzerland before retiring to Hancock, Maine.
During their time overseas, Marcia navigated raising a family and moving to a new country and culture every few years with aplomb. Marcia had a gift for connection. Her love of adventure combined with her kind, curious, generous, and outgoing nature led to friendships with people all over the world and countless memorable experiences. Marcia never stopped being an educator and worked periodically as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and served on the Ecolint-American Foundation board for the Ecolint International School in Geneva, Switzerland. She volunteered at Mother Teresa’s orphanage in Calcutta. She was actively involved in her children’s lives and activities as they grew up, channelling her enthusiasm for planning and organization as a parent volunteer into their sports teams, clubs, and musical endeavours."