Marcia Jean (Dunlevy) Jones

MARBLEHEAD - Marcia Jean Dunlevy Jones, a longtime resident of Marblehead, MA, passed away at Alliance Health at Rosewood in Peabody, MA on May 25, 2021. As a 25-year breast cancer survivor and COVID-19 survivor she was not able to recover from a broken hip at the age of 92 years of age. There are no funeral arrangements planned, as the immediate family will be celebrating her life privately at a later time. She will be buried in the Dunlevy family plot in Dravosburg, PA, alongside her parents, Risher Alexander and Frances Amanda (Ray) Dunlevy, her grandparents James Harvey and Mary Agnes (Risher) Dunlevy, and her aunt Elmira May Dunlevy.

Marcia was born in Pittsburgh, PA on May 7, 1929. She is survived by: her sister Mary Frances (Dunlevy) Sindoni, her brother Harvey Risher Dunlevy; her two daughters Sharon Lee (Jones) Meyer and Dr. Janet Bughardt Jones-Oliveira, her son-in-law Dr. Joseph Stephen Oliveira; and her four grandchildren, Kara Ann Meyer, Becky Lea Meyer, Hans-Joseph Bughardt Oliveira, and Francesca Yvonne Oliveira. She is also survived by her two nieces and two nephews, Jane Risher Dunlevy, James Harvey Dunlevy, Alessandra Joy Sindoni, and Armand Ray Sindoni. She is preceded in death by her sister-in-law Mary Susan (Hayes) Dunlevy.

Marcia grew up in Brookline, MA and attended college at Pennsylvania College for Women (formerly Chatham College in Pittsburg), transferring to and graduating from Boston University. Marcia’s mother and four aunts all graduated from Chatham College, which was remarkable in the day. Marcia went on to study for her real estate license and did graduate work in library science and dance (in her fifties). She worked at the Lynn Public Library and frequented the Marblehead Public Library.

Marcia played second violin with the North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra for fifty years. She was a modern dancer and choreographer, having introduced modern dance into the worship service (now known as liturgical dance) at the First Congregational Church in Melrose, MA and at the Old North Church in Marblehead, MA. She was an avid folk dancer at MIT, swam several times a week at the Salem YMCA, and walked daily before dinner. She read French literature in French, was passionate about conservation, enjoyed crossword puzzles, and always had jigsaw puzzles available for others to join in. Her love of the ocean drew her to Deveraux Beach throughout the season and she very much enjoyed her porch view of Salem Harbor. Her yardwork generated new bloomage each week from early spring to late fall.

Marcia holds a patent filed at the Library of Congress for a ballet; she wrote a series of children’s ditties, which she had hoped to publish; and she contributed many articles to the Marblehead Reporter.

In lieu of flowers, support of local conservation activities would honor her greatly. Assisting the family with the arrangements is O'Donnell Cremations - Funerals - Celebrations, 84 Washington Sq., (at Salem Common) Salem. www.odonnellfuneralservice.com

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