Cortez, Colo. —
She was born in Bellows Falls, Vt. on Oct. 11, 1950, to Kenneth and Helen Cota. Her early years were spent in her home town graduating from Bellows Falls High School in the Class of 1968 and then attending Champlain college in Burlington, Vt.
Marsha worked as a bookkeeper for several years in the Connecticut Valley of Vermont/New Hampshire before relocating to Arizona in the 1980’s. Her love of the Southwest was well know to her family and friends. While in Arizona she became very knowledgeable about the culture and traditions of the Native American peoples of the Southwest and was a true friend to many. She was drawn to the lore and beauty of the Four Corners Area of our country and found her true calling when she assumed a position at Mesa Verde National Park in Cortez, Colo. Her sunny disposition and vast knowledge of native culture endeared her to tourists and coworkers alike. Her years spent at Mesa Verde were a labor of love.
Though most of her adult life was spent far from her New England roots, Marsha was surrounded by a vast and loving circle of friends who became her extended family. She was always willing to share whatever she had with them and they with her. Her home was always open and welcoming.
Marsha is survived by her sister, Francelia Johnson of Kent, Conn.; her brothers, Hugh Cota (Carol) of Bellows Falls, and Chris Cota (Sue) of Saxtons River; and several nieces and nephews. She will be greatly missed by her many close friends including Mary Larsen who was her caregiver during the last weeks of her life.
Services and interment will be held at a later date.