Marianne Taylor, founding member of SRSNH and president from 2006-2008, died on Tuesday, August 19, 2008.

Remembering Marianne Taylor

I first met Marianne in 1955 at a dance workshop in Exeter, NH. I don’t remember if it was Scottish Country Dance or square/contra. She was 24, married to Conny Taylor (Cornell), and pregnant with their first child. A beautiful dancer, a confident woman, just the perfect role model for me, a college junior. They lived in Lexington, MA, taught dancing, ran an international folk dance evening at the Cambridge YWCA, and were budding leaders of the dance community.

Marianne was a talented pianist and was the resident musician for the Boston Branch Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. She played solo piano for the first half of the evening, which was a mixed level class. The second half was for the advanced dancers and they danced to records. Besides leading and teaching various dance evenings, she and Conny sponsored many international workshops. She also taught classes at the Boston Conservatory.

Fast forward to 1986. Marianne had moved to Deerfield, NH. We began to interact again on the Ralph Page Legacy Committee, then with the SRSNH. We car pooled places. We were peers and became good friends. She hired me for gigs. I hired her for gigs. We laughed and cried together. I will miss her.

–Sylvia Miskoe

I’m so glad we went to play for Marianne the last week. I surely pray it gave her a moment’s escape from her suffering. I will remember the first time we played for her, and how she held my hand and said a prayer for me after we had only just met. Having only known her in the final stages of her illness, I cherish the gift that God gives to us in what we call “memories.” In His awesome wonder, He graces us with little part of each very special someone, like Marianne, that becomes a part of who we are. May God bless you and keep you, Marianne. A part of you is now a part of me. My sincere condolences to those who were lucky enough to share life and love with Marianne.

–Will Horan (guitar player and singer who plays with Audrey Danielson)

I will not mourn Marianne’s passing, but rather remember her wonderfully vibrant, happy personality. She will be in my thoughts at every gathering, whenever I hear a contra dance tune, and whenever I see a sunrise or a sunset over a bog like the one she knew and loved. She has changed my life forever, and I only hope that I can mean as much to my friends and family as she does to the ones she loved so much.

–Audrey Danielson

I can’t even remember how many times in the past 18 years I have marveled at Marianne and said to myself, “I hope I can be like her as I grow older.” Her energy and zest for life were inspiring and contagious.

I will always remember Marianne on our two trips to Scotland charging on and off the bus to get us going or announce our arrival. She turned our bus driver into her friend in the first five minutes after our arrival, and then cajoled her new buddy into all manner of extra favors for our merry band of musicians. She always had a beaming smile when greeting our B&B hosts or the leader of the local Scottish SRS with whom we were playing. And she wasn’t shy about chasing the tardy members of the group out of bed in the morning when the bus was ready for departure. She hated doing the math when paying for our meals, but she always made sure to take care of the wait staff. And, of course, her marvelous piano playing held us together even when our energy ran low.

I will never forget her.

–Michael Vose

Marianne’s wonderful energy is now dancing with us. We are her gifts…she gave so much to us.

–Deirdre and Chris Rees

Marianne was with me all day today and I was getting ready to call Sylvia Miskoe to find out how she was and just came home to find [the] message. I do not find it strange at all that her spirit was reaching out to all the friends and family she knew and loved so well.

My love and condolences to her family.  The loss of a loved one and the grief associated with it cannot be really described or understood, excepting by those experiencing it.  I am still feeling the vacuum left by the death of my sweetheart, companion, and wife of 64 years last December.

–Nirmal Mondol

Marianne was (and remains) a force of energy and joy that infused all of us fortunate to have encountered her, dance with her, made music with her, planned programs with her, and laughed with her.  From my first exposure in 1962 at the Cambridge Y, where I was just one the young crowd enthusiastically following her lead, through the last 17 years of working and playing together at SRSNH, Marianne’s talent and spirit has been my reliable touchstone for how to share and enjoy this world with others.  I miss her and retain that touchstone.

–Susan Christie Woodward