Norwich, VT – Jeff Marshall, 72, died at his beloved Norwich home on February 17. An energetic and engaging man who was still undefeated on the paddle ball court, Jeff left this world full of his signature vibrance.
Jeff grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In his own unconventional way, he attended five colleges over nine years, occasionally taking months off to work on barges on the Ohio River. This was Jeff: rule books didn’t apply. He was equally at home debating Shakespeare and hauling cargo. He went on to earn his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and worked as a trader on the floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange before becoming an individual investor. He had a keen financial mind, but he was far more interested in people than numbers.
He met the love of his life, Terry, in West Virginia in the early 1980s. She recalls that he was “the oddest man I had ever met, and he had a lot of questions.” Jeff was insatiably curious. His crystal blue eyes saw things in people that others missed, and he was unapologetically himself. Jeff and Terry married in 1986 and, in the truest sense, built a life side by side. Nearly every day after that was spent together.
In 1990, when their two daughters were toddlers, Jeff and Terry moved to Norwich, Vermont, seeking a community that would make for a magical childhood. Jeff applied his unique intensity and dedication to that vision. He worked from home so he could be present. He coached elementary school sports teams, always as “Jeff,” never “Mr. Marshall.” In the mid-1990s, he became steward of the Norwich Ice Rink so that local children would have a place to skate in winter. “Mr. Ice Rink Jeff” became a fixture of Norwich winters for decades, watering and snowblowing at all hours, teaching kids how to shovel, and visiting kindergarten classrooms to explain how mice ran the snowblower. He never actually skated on the rink himself. That was Jeff: happiest creating joy for others.
Jeff was deeply generous and guided by a strong internal compass. His philanthropic interests ranged from conservation to autism research to supporting Jewish life at Dartmouth. His intellectual curiosity spanned even broader. Jeff could talk in impressive depth and with great conviction about everything from Italian cinema and baroque music to foreign policy, bird migration, and Steelers’ playcalling.
But usually he was the one asking questions, and by the end of the conversation, you’d realize you had told Jeff things you hadn’t even known about yourself. You’d also likely have an invitation to maple sugar, press apple cider, cut flowers from his abundant garden, or pick blueberries, depending on the season.
This genuine interest in others made Jeff a wonderful neighbor and friend, and most of all, a devoted husband, dad, and grandfather. He was happiest surrounded by his family, making his granddaughters giggle with goofy antics, organizing pirate-inspired scavenger hunts on the Connecticut River, or lying on the couch chatting with his eyes closed (which he did when thinking deeply).
He is survived by his adoring family, or “my girls,” as he would say, wife Terry; daughters Kathleen (Jacob) and Briana (Alexander); and granddaughters Reagan, Quinn, and Remie, who were the lights of his life.
A celebration of Jeff’s life will be held at the Norwich Inn on Sunday, March 1 from 1–4 p.m.
Jeff loved planting flowers, and we have plenty. What we treasure most now are stories. If you are willing to share a memory, please email the.one.and.only.jeff.marshall@gmail.com. For those who feel inclined to give, donations in Jeff’s name may be made to the Norwich Fire Department or the Norwich Police Department.
The Rand-Wilson Funeral Home in Hanover, NH is assisting the family.
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