Obituary of Harriet T Marsi

Harriet T. Marsiof VestalHarriet T. Marsi died peacefully June 10 at the home of her daughter, Gail Kirch in Vestal. She was 95. Mrs. Marsi's parents, Thomas and Matilda Taylor, raised her in Port Washington, New York. She received an undergraduate degree from Wellesley College in 1933 and a Master's Degree in Zoology from the University of North Carolina. In 1938, Mrs. Marsi married Frederick V. Marsi, an attorney working in the Manhattan office where she was employed as a secretary. The couple moved to Binghamton in 1946. Over the next six decades, Mrs. Marsi's name became synonymous with conservation and environmental awareness in Binghamton and throughout New York State. Her infectious enthusiasm for nature and her charisma in conveying that enthusiasm caused all who encountered her to come away inspired. Known by friends and admirers as "Broome County's First Lady of Conservation," Mrs. Marsi spent hundreds of volunteer hours visiting public schools with nature exhibits. As a founding member and long-serving president of the Naturalists' Club of Broome County, she helped bring nationally known environmental figures such as Roger Tory Peterson to Binghamton, as part of the club's Audubon Screen Tour program. Mrs. Marsi also served as president of the Central New York Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, chairperson of the Broome County Environmental Management Council, and president of the New York State Federation of Bird Clubs. In the 1960s, Mrs. Marsi joined with a friend, the late Florence Linaberry, in convincing the New York State Transportation Department to build Route 17 around a large wetland in Apalachin, instead of through it, as originally planned. Ever since, those appreciating Mrs. Marsi's efforts to save the Apalachin Wetland have referred to it as "Harriet's Marsh." In 1976, Mrs. Marsi received a Special Award of Merit from the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The award recognized her "significant contributions to a better environment." In her later years, Mrs. Marsi became an active member of Lyceum. She also worked energetically to help lessen pollution in Chesapeake Bay, giving numerous lectures on the bay's behalf. Last year, Mrs. Marsi received the Susquehanna Group of the Sierra Club's annual award for environmental achievement. Mrs. Marsi is predeceased by her husband, Fred; a brother, Thomas Taylor; and a sister, Emily Gyllensward. She is survived by her daughter, Gail Kirch; and son, Rick Marsi, both of Vestal; a grandson, Stephen Marsi; and a granddaughter, Katherine Marsi.A memorial service will take place June 28 at 4 p.m. at Tabernacle United Methodist Church, 83 Main St., Binghamton. Family members will receive friends at the church from 2:30 p.m. until the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Chesapeake Bay Alliance (www.alliancechesbay.org) or Lyceum c/o Binghamton University Foundation.