Obituary of Sally S. Marvin

Sally (Sprague) Marvin passed on February 25, 2020 in Concord, NH, after a brief illness. A New Hampshire resident since 2014, Sally was born February 14, 1932 in Salem, MA, to Helen (Black) and George E. Sprague. She grew up in the Boston area where she remembered the 1938 hurricane and became a lifelong Red Sox fan. An alumna of Beaver Country Day School in Newton, MA, she was a 1953 graduate of Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, where she served as Editor in Chief of the Skidmore News and was “investigated” by supporters of Joseph McCarthy for her editorial comments about him. Recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency, she chose to continue her journalism interests by working for Time-Life, Inc. in New York. Following her marriage to Lt. Richard Marvin, USMC, of Deep River, Ct, she worked as a reporter for the Jacksonville (NC) Daily News and gave a not-so-glowing review of a performer at a local talent show named Elvis Presley. Sally lived primarily in Connecticut in the Hartford area and on the shoreline and was a well-respected dealer in colonial American antiques. She was further known as a lover of animals with a collection of canines and various other species and spent many years rescuing abused and abandoned dogs, mostly focused on the breed Keeshond. She was a former employee of Clinton (CT) Veterinary Hospital, served for a number of years on the board of the Valley Shore Animal Welfare League and attended Episcopal Churches wherever she lived. Predeceased by her former husband Dick and her brother George R. Sprague of Boston, Sally welcomed practically anyone to her home and table so long as they demonstrated manners, charm, wit, humor, intelligence and respect. She is survived by her sons; Jonathan of Bow, NH, Richard of Westbrook, CT, Andrew Davis of Vashon, WA, as well as her beloved daughters in law; Sarah (Crosskey) Marvin, Dr. Susan (Hall) Marvin and Naomi (Goldick) Davis. The joys of her life were her grandchildren; Daniel, Emily, William, and Emily’s husband Joseph Rider in NH, Anna and Lydia in CT, and Joshua and Ethan in WA. Sally is also survived by her dear friend in Concord, NH, Mr. Joseph Hyde, her cousin, Susan Tiffany of Lyme, CT, her sister in law Lee, of Sprague of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, four nieces and a nephew. Sally loathed the cold winter weather and so following her instructions there will be a celebration of her life this summer following her interment in the Fountain Hill Cemetery in Deep River, CT. The family profoundly thanks the caregivers at Concord Hospital and especially at her wonderful living facility of Heritage Heights/Havenwood in Concord. Memorial contributions in Sally’s name may be made to the Keeshond Sunshine Rescue Foundation (KSRF), ℅ Karen Ramsey, 4420 Mozart Ave., Dayton, OH, 45424-5968. Or on the web at: www.ksrf.org. To share a memory or express a condolence to Sally’s family please visit: www.rwwfh.com. Arrangements by the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home in Centerbrook.