Obituary: ​Marion Lord Kessen, 92, of North Branford

Information via W.S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home

Marion Lord Kessen passed away peacefully on May 24, 2018, surrounded by family. She was born on June 6, 1925 in South Orange, N.J., daughter of Raymond and Myra Lord. Marion was predeceased in 1999 by her husband of 48 years, William, and is survived by her daughters Judith (Thomas) Crawford, Deborah Trofatter, Anne (Jeffrey) Lowell, her sons Peter, Andrew and John, her grandchildren Sarah and Will Crawford, Matthew (Jessica) and Kate Trofatter, Rebecca and Johanna Lowell, and her great-grandson, Benjamin Trofatter.

Marion graduated from Wheaton College and earned her Master’s Degree in Psychology from Brown University. She worked in a variety of positions at Yale University, conducting research in the Department of Psychology, and was the director of the Calvin Hill Daycare Center.

Marion was an avid bowler and golfer, a long-time member of the Pine Orchard Club, belonged to the same bridge group for several decades, was a Chairman of the Branford Human Rights Council in the 1960's and was a member of the Yale University Women's Organization for many years.

She and her husband and children loved to travel, driving cross country in 1959 for a sabbatical year in California, spending two sabbatical years in Florence, Italy, and taking trips all over Europe. She also traveled to India, Egypt and Morocco with her husband and took a Lindblad expedition trip to Antarctica on her own at the age of 80.The family would like to thank the staff at the Evergreen Woods Health Center and Home Instead Senior Care for the extraordinary, loving care they gave to Marion.

Burial will be private. A celebration of life will be held in the summer. Memorial donations can be made to the William Kessen Teaching Award, Department of Psychology, Yale University, Box 208205, New Haven, CT 06520-8205; to Calvin Hill Daycare Center, 150 Highland Street, New Haven, CT 06511; or to SouthSide Early Childhood Center, 2101 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63104.To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Marion Kessen, please visit our Tribute Store.