He will come like...., by Rowan Williams

 

Marshall Hunter Eddy, 1939-2025

 

MIDDLEBURY — Marshall Hunter Eddy, 85, died peacefully, surrounded by his children, at his home in Middlebury, Vt., Sept. 20, 2025. Born Oct. 30, 1939, in Bridgeport, Conn., to Virginia and Maxon Eddy, Marshall spent his childhood in Southport, Conn., before leaving to study at Phillips Exeter Academy and Yale University. He left college after one year to join the Army and studied Russian at the Language School in Monterey, Calif. He was stationed overseas in Helmstedd, Germany on the East-West German border and served as a Russian language radio intercept operator from 1959-1962.

Immediately upon his return to the U.S., he married his childhood sweetheart, Jane Miller, and they moved to Vermont to be near the Eddy family homestead. Marshall went on to major in Russian and graduate Phi Beta Kappa from Middlebury College in 1965 before matriculating at the University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor, where he graduated cum laude in 1968. He subsequently moved back to Middlebury to join the two-man law firm of Langrock and Sperry, and after two years, was offered a partnership. Marshall’s gut instinct, however, was that investing time in local youth before they reached the point of needing legal representation was the path he would find most fulfilling, and he accepted an entry-level job as a teacher. This resulted in three generations of Art students at Middlebury Union High School benefiting from “Mr. Eddy’s” encouragement, kindness and inspiration over the next 47 years.

As a member of the Middlebury community, Marshall performed several civic functions, including serving as the Chairperson of Addison County Act 250 Environmental Commission, the lead negotiator for the MUHS Teachers’ Union, a member of the Vermont Arts Council, and on the board of the Children’s Art Exchange. He was a skilled carpenter and spent hundreds of hours renovating the Eddy Family Barn down by the river into a beautiful home. After he retired in 2014, he greatly valued the camaraderie he found within his local writing group, and he loved the marvelous conversations and lasting friendships that resulted from the years he spent creating unique and beautiful clay sculptures at the Middlebury Studio School.

Marshall enjoyed singing in several choral groups, acting in local musicals, and directing senior plays and mime productions at the high school. The highlights of his performing career included serving as the Baritone Soloist with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, and playing Tevye, Fagin and the Pirate King in Middlebury Community Players’ productions of Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver, and the Pirates of Penzance. His other favorite memories included sharing the stage with his children and grandchildren in Shrek and making his operatic debut as the Emperor in the Opera Company of Middlebury’s production of Turandot.

Marshall’s most important role, however, was that of devoted husband, father and grandfather. He loved supporting his children’s and grandchildren’s academic pursuits, nurturing their artistic talent, introducing them to the stage, cheering for them on the playing fields … and loving them unconditionally through triumphs and trials alike.

Marshall is survived by his loving children: Serena Eddy, Katinka Eddy (and husband Eric Troffkin), Stanton Eddy (and Andrea Grimm), and daughter-in-law Jodi Eddy (and partner Ryan Longe); his beloved grandchildren, Chloe, Kess, Tucker, Seely, Spencer, Marshall and Ashlyn; his brother, David; brothers-in-law Alden and Bill; sisters-in-law Mary, Becky, Nancy and Barbara; and several generations of devoted cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his dear wife, Jane, son Merritt, daughter-in-law Tamara, sister Ginny, sister-in-law Linda and brothers-in-law Chuck, David, Clark and George.

In accordance with tradition, Marshall’s family transported his body in a homemade wooden casket over the Green Mountains to the Mt. Pleasant Crematorium in St. Johnsbury. Next summer, Jane’s wishes will be honored when Marshall’s ashes are combined with hers and scattered near the Oodzee-hozo Rock in Lake Champlain. A Celebration of Marshall’s Life will be held Saturday, Dec. 27, at 2 p.m., at the Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society in Middlebury and is open to all. In lieu of flowers, Marshall asked that contributions be made to the Middlebury Studio School in his honor.

Note to our community: Our family would like to extend our most sincere thanks to everyone who reached out during this past very difficult year. Dad enjoyed spending the last several months of his life connecting and reminiscing with his very favorite people — his beloved family members, dearest friends, and devoted students. He was glad for the opportunity to say farewell to so many, and to express his sincere appreciation for the love and laughter he shared with us all during his lifetime.

We are incredibly grateful, once again, for the love, compassion and expert guidance provided by Dr. Katie Miller, the staff at AC Home Health and Hospice, and Heather Blair and her most wonderful team of caregivers, all of whom helped Dad complete his final journey at home in the manner he desired. As his time grew nigh, Dad encouraged us all to take solace in the fact that he had lived a long and productive life, was happily married for sixty-two years, and did not linger long or suffer at the end. He will forever be remembered and appreciated for the warmth, wit, and wisdom that he bestowed upon us all.

Gardens

 

dia de los muertos

 

Today is Halloween here in America, a holiday of fun and mischief for children—masks, candy, and staying up late. But tomorrow, in Mexico, begins Día de los Muertos, a holiday more aimed at adults and with deeper philosophical roots. All over Mexico and in other places that celebrate the holiday, people are gathering not for treats, but to honor and remember their loved ones who have passed away. It’s a three-day reflection on the essence of memento mori (check out our memento mori collection here)—a collective moment of bereavement that blends somber remembrance with the vibrancy of a jazz funeral. The great Montaigne (if you haven’t read his famous Essays or Sarah Bakewell’s How To Live, put them on your list!) once shared a story from the New World: an ancient drinking game where participants would pass around a painting of a corpse in a coffin, toasting, “Drink and be merry, for when you’re dead you will look like this.” It’s both cheeky and profound, perfectly capturing the spirit of Día de los Muertos. The imagery of skulls and skeletons, the face paint, the music and dancing, the prayers, and the altars—all serve as reminders that death is not a horror to avoid, but a natural part of life to acknowledge and, in some ways, celebrate. At first glance, it may seem strange to celebrate death—stranger still to involve children. But is it really any odder than banishing all thoughts of death from our lives, allowing it to resurface only in moments of dread? Or pretending that the one universal certainty—our mortality—can be ignored? There is great value in rituals that allow us to confront and even dance with the reality of death. Taking time to process, grieve, and accept this inevitable part of existence helps us live with more clarity. It’s better to regularly acknowledge death, like scheduling an annual check-up, than to be shocked by it when it inevitably arrives. So tomorrow, drink, be merry, and celebrate the Day of the Dead. Remember those you’ve lost, and cherish the ones still here. In the end, that’s all we can really do. For generations, humans have been trying to keep the idea of memento mori at hand in different ways. In addition to the Aztec traditions that evolved into our modern day Día de los Muertos celebration, you can see it in historical writing, art, music, and of course jewelry. All created with the intent of reminding their observer that death doesn’t make life pointless—it makes life purposeful.

Hello, sun