1916
Marcia
2016
Marcia Behr
August 22, 1916 — March 9, 2016
Marcia Behr of Main Street, St. Johnsbury, passed away at home with her family late Wednesday evening, March 9, 2016, at the age of 99. Born in Syracuse, New York on August 22, 1916, she was the daughter of Sylvanus Delamere and May (Sedgwick) Ward. She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Edward A. Behr on September 22, 2012.
Marcia studied drama at Bennington College, graduating in the class of 1938. One of her fondest memories at Bennington was taking a dance class with the legendary choreographer Martha Graham, who slapped her on her posterior and told her not to stick it out too much! Apparently those lessons paid off, because after college she auditioned for and got a job with a vaudeville dance group called The Twinkle Toed Darlings. But acting was her passion, and after a year as a dancer she left to join the Bulgakov Repertory Company in New York City. Perhaps her proudest moment professionally was when the formidable New York Times reviewer Brooks Atkinson favorably reviewed her 1941 Broadway performance in "Kind Lady."
During the Second World War, she served in the Red Cross in Australia and New Guinea. Upon her return from overseas, she worked for the New York City theater producer Alfred de Liagre, while she auditioned for roles on Broadway. But as fate would have it she met Edward A. Behr, a journalist with the Wall Street Journal, on a blind date and within a year they married. After their two sons were born, they moved to Washington, D.C. where Marcia continued to work in theater, both performing and teaching. In 1990, she published Coffee and Sympathy, a memoir about her service in the Red Cross. Even well into her nineties she never lost her focus on acting. She was thrilled to learn that her granddaughter Julia was working in Hollywood in the entertainment industry. She asked Julia, "Can you get me a job?"
She is survived by her son Edward A. Behr, Jr. and his wife Kimberly of St. Johnsbury. Her younger son Robert preceded her in death in 2013. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Helen Behr of Madison, Wisconsin; Julia Behr of Los Angeles, California; Maximillian Buckminster and Zane Buckminster of St. Johnsbury; by her daughter-in-law Nancy Graham of Denver, Colorado; and by her many nieces and nephews across the country.
The family thanks her devoted caregivers: Mindy MacDougall, Crystal Jones, and Janice Lacey for always making sure her tea was a hot as possible (which was never hot enough). A memorial service will be held in the spring.
Memories and condolences may be shared privately at www.sayles.com.
Marcia studied drama at Bennington College, graduating in the class of 1938. One of her fondest memories at Bennington was taking a dance class with the legendary choreographer Martha Graham, who slapped her on her posterior and told her not to stick it out too much! Apparently those lessons paid off, because after college she auditioned for and got a job with a vaudeville dance group called The Twinkle Toed Darlings. But acting was her passion, and after a year as a dancer she left to join the Bulgakov Repertory Company in New York City. Perhaps her proudest moment professionally was when the formidable New York Times reviewer Brooks Atkinson favorably reviewed her 1941 Broadway performance in "Kind Lady."
During the Second World War, she served in the Red Cross in Australia and New Guinea. Upon her return from overseas, she worked for the New York City theater producer Alfred de Liagre, while she auditioned for roles on Broadway. But as fate would have it she met Edward A. Behr, a journalist with the Wall Street Journal, on a blind date and within a year they married. After their two sons were born, they moved to Washington, D.C. where Marcia continued to work in theater, both performing and teaching. In 1990, she published Coffee and Sympathy, a memoir about her service in the Red Cross. Even well into her nineties she never lost her focus on acting. She was thrilled to learn that her granddaughter Julia was working in Hollywood in the entertainment industry. She asked Julia, "Can you get me a job?"
She is survived by her son Edward A. Behr, Jr. and his wife Kimberly of St. Johnsbury. Her younger son Robert preceded her in death in 2013. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Helen Behr of Madison, Wisconsin; Julia Behr of Los Angeles, California; Maximillian Buckminster and Zane Buckminster of St. Johnsbury; by her daughter-in-law Nancy Graham of Denver, Colorado; and by her many nieces and nephews across the country.
The family thanks her devoted caregivers: Mindy MacDougall, Crystal Jones, and Janice Lacey for always making sure her tea was a hot as possible (which was never hot enough). A memorial service will be held in the spring.
Memories and condolences may be shared privately at www.sayles.com.
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