Sarasota, Fla. —
Marjorie could fashion a beautiful heavy wool sweater in less than a week and love every minute of the process. She knitted sweaters and baby blankets for family members and for that matter, anybody else who she knew was having a baby. She did more than chafe at the edges of knitting; she was a true artist. She had a life-long love affair with golf, cashew nuts, candied ginger, gardening, Volvos, Jeopardy, travel tchotchkes, the Red Sox, Drapers and Damon’s avocado green polyester slacks, Georgia peaches and newspaper puzzles. The culinary arts were not one of her strong suits – creamed chipped beef on toast was her signature dish.
She excelled at living within her means and viewed debt like the plague. She loved reading travel magazines. Travel was her true nirvana. She would study the AAA guide prior to a road trip like a bookmaker studying the spread. Marjorie traveled extensively both domestically and internationally. Using her skills to phrase sentences for maximum emotional coercion, she was able to convince her husband of 49 years, Richard S. Kidder, to travel with her around the world on more than several occasions. After Richard’s death in 1996, she eventually re-married the second love of her life, John Martin. He too was introduced to her love of travel. They took several Elder Hostel tours together amongst other trips. One trip in particular, found Marjorie and John accidentally staying in a low cost hotel in the King’s Cross section of Sydney, Australia during the Sydney LGBT Festival, which is the largest event of its kind in the world. (they loved it). On two separate occasions during Marjorie’s life; she flew to Sweden to purchase a new Volvo directly from their Gothenburg factory – the trips were on Volvo’s nickel of course. She continued to drive well into her 90’s. Marjorie was a very inquisitive person with a fiendish talent for making you feel like you were under investigation during conversations. She gave her time graciously to the Alzheimer Society and the Hibiscus Society.
Things that you would never have caught Marjorie doing were: knocking back shots of Jack Black, waiting patiently for a slow foursome, not righting the wrong of an over charge of any kind, buying a Hermes bag, being subtle or watching a Bevis and Butthead movie.
Surviving immediate family: sons, Rick Kidder (Jan), Springfield, N.H., Roger Kidder (Tantri), Sarasota, Fla.; grandchildren, Jennifer Kidder Goodwin (Scott), Springfield, N.H., Ashley Kidder Campbell (Scott), Silver Spring, Md., Prita Kidder, Manhattan, Sullivan Kidder, Madison, Wisc.; great-grandchildren, Courtney Goodwin, Kyle Goodwin, Anna Campbell, Ellie Campbell.
Mom, you will be sorely missed and oh, so fondly remembered.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Ice House, 91 Pleasant Street, New London, NH 03257