Marlene Northrop Passes Away

Marlene Janet Northrop, of Reading, passed on September 20. She was 86.

Northrop was the beloved wife of the late Richard Herbert Northrop and mother to Leslie Schultz and her husband Andrew Schultz of North Reading, Kim DiDonato and her husband Roger of Reading, and Debra Conner and her husband Michael of Reading. Born in Somerville on Dec. 15th, she was the daughter of the late Essie and Roland Goodick and birth parents Pauline Smith of Somerville and David Connor of Woburn, MA. She was a graduate of Somerville High School.

Marlene was a faithful member of the First Baptist Church of Arlington. She was the Office Manager for the family business she shared with her husband, Richard, R.H. Northrop Corporation, a homemaker and also worked in the Harvard University Library for many years. Marlene loved her grandsons and family; was a wonderful mother, had a strong Christian faith, a great sense of humor and was a wonderful listener and confident to “her girls”. She loved being with her grandsons, Evan, Jordan, Taylor, Eric, and Brett. Marlene was an avid book reader, loved Ocean Park, Maine, her vacation home in South Yarmouth, loved to travel, was a girl scout leader, a painter, loved her friends, and was part of the League of Women Voters, and a history buff. Marlene was warm, caring, gracious, and a honorable person to all that came in contact with her. Marlene was loved by all and will be missed greatly and her family will remember her many life’s lessons, beautiful blue eyes, and smile to light a room.

A Funeral Service celebrating her life will be held on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 9 am at the Union Congregational Church, 148 Haverhill St., No. Reading. Funeral Home visiting hours on Friday evening from 5-8 pm at the Douglass, Edgerley & Bessom Funeral Home, 25 Sanborn St., (corner of Woburn St.) Reading. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in her memory to the VNA of Middlesex East & Visiting Nurse Hospice, 607 North Ave., Suite 17, Wakefield, MA 01880.