Obituary: Geraldine ‘Gerry’ Marshall, 85; Hamden Native

Geraldine (Zampiello) Marshall, Teacher and Artist

HAMDEN, CT — (Contributed): Geraldine “Gerry” Marshall, 85, died peacefully on February 11, 2022, in her residence at Sunrise Senior Living in Fairfield, Connecticut. Her full and colorful life and legacies as a teacher, artist, and independent spirit will always be remembered by her family and close friends.

The daughter of Louise and Sidney N. Zampiello, Gerry was born in New Haven, CT, on August 6, 1936, and raised in nearby Hamden. Her mother’s parents ran a small grocery store down the street from where she lived, and her paternal grandfather owned an Italian bakery in West Haven.

At Hamden High School, Gerry was a member of the Theater Guild, assistant editor of the school paper, and a sports team cheerleader. After graduating high school, she attended Wheaton College for two years before transferring to the New Haven State Teachers College (now Southern Connecticut State University).

There, she majored in Art Education, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree. Continuing her education, Gerry was accepted by Harvard University, handling a demanding course load in the study of English education. She was awarded a Master of Arts in Teaching degree (MaT) by Harvard in 1959.

Gerry began teaching at Greenwich High School, moving over to Darien High School after three years. At DHS she settled in to her life’s calling, embarking on a career in Advanced Placement English education that would span more than thirty years, from 1964 to 1995. Her commitment to her students’ education would be a hallmark of her tenure. Over the course of her career, thousands of students would pass through her classroom, and a number of them would become professional writers or educators.

At Darien High School, Gerry served as coordinator of the International Baccalaureate

Program and was instrumental in creating the school’s Alternative Learning Program. She was advisor to the Darien High School literary magazine, “Current,” for over 20 years.

In retirement, Gerry avidly pursued a multitude of interests. She read books in diverse disciplines and genres, including psychology, science, poetry, biography, bookbinding, and architecture. She enjoyed hosting small gatherings of friends at her home and found artistic inspiration through regular visits to art museums in New York City. Over the years she also made several trips to Europe to explore the art, history, and culture of Italy and France.

A passionate and accomplished artist, Gerry acquired her love for drawing early in life after receiving a set of oil pastels from her Aunt Helen during a 1950s visit in Greenwich Village. Inspired, Gerry went on to draw and to study art throughout her life.

After DHS, she became more earnest in her life figure drawing, spending many hours in the studios at Silvermine Art Center in New Canaan, where her artistic skill was admired by all. She was prolific, completing well over two hundred large-format charcoal drawings. A versatile artist, she did numerous sketches of her travels in Europe and also worked in oils, producing several large canvasses.

Gerry was a MENSA member, keenly perceptive, well-read, and highly articulate. She was quietly proud, though not prideful in respect to her accomplishments. Logical and quick-witted, she made no bones about expressing her opinion at any time, positive or otherwise, on any given topic, situation, or individual. You always knew where Gerry stood on a matter.

Gerry considered herself a minimalist, and she expressed that thinking in her life through her selections of simple yet elegant artwork, furniture, and home decor. She was always hands-on when it came to projects around the house; working closely with contractors and builders, she supervised the redesign and renovation of the house in Westport that she called home for over 50 years.

She gave of herself unstintingly, becoming the primary caregiver for both of her parents in their later years and looking after a younger cousin, John Vanacore, prior to his death due to illness.

Predeceased by her mother in 1984 and her father in 2009, Gerry is dearly missed by her brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Helen Zampiello of Washington, CT; her nephew, Geoffrey Zampiello, his wife, Amanda, and daughters Emma and Morgan of Westport; and her grand-niece, Sidney Nicole Zampiello of Salt Lake City.

Others close to Gerry who mourn the loss but treasure the memory of her include her dear friend and caregiver David Miles of Westport; longtime friends Tom and Susan Zawacki of Fairfield, CT; and many former teaching colleagues and students at Darien High School.

A special website with more information and photographs of Gerry’s life journey is online at www.gerrymarshall.net.