Retired preschool owner, served on Old & Historic Commission, served 12 years as funeral deacon for Old North Church
What skills and experience would you bring to the Cemetery Commission?
I owned and operated a successful preschool business in Marblehead for 20 years, which involved budgeting and record keeping, collaboration and cooperation with parents, and annual inspections by the building and fire departments.
I served for more than 10 years on the Old and Historic District Commission, working with homeowners to understand and comply with bylaws pertaining to historic preservation. As a member of Old North Church, I served 12 years as funeral deacon, coordinating memorial service and burial details with bereaved families, local funeral homes, the church office and ministers.
Why do you want to run for the Cemetery Commission? Why is it an important role?
Our cemeteries are primary sources of information important to the history of Marblehead. The gravestones hold the names, birth dates, death dates and other information such as cause of death or occupation. I have ancestors and recent family members interred in four of Marblehead’s cemeteries. The record keeping and maintenance of these sacred spaces is important. I hope to be part of protecting this history.
What goals for the Cemetery Commission do you have over the next 3-5 years?
The superintendent and Cemetery Commission are beginning expansion projects at Waterside and Creesy Street cemeteries to create additional spaces for burial of Marblehead residents and veterans. Memorial space for police (similar to the fire department space at Waterside) is also being planned. However, the commission must continue to identify additional cemetery space for the future. Marblehead residents typically want to be buried in Marblehead!
The Cemetery Commission is fortunate to have two volunteer committees (Old Burial Hill and Harris Street/Hooper Tomb) who work closely with the superintendent to provide local oversight and grant writing to fund restoration projects at these sites. I would like to explore whether this model could be extended to include all cemetery and historic tomb locations in Marblehead.
What is something you would like to change regarding the Cemetery Commission … and how would you make that change?
The current Cemetery Commission functions well as a group and with the superintendent. I was appointed in February to fill the term of a commissioner who moved out of town. I am now running for a full, two-year term starting in June.
The three monthly meetings I have attended have centered around making the required budget cuts for the 2027 town budget — a difficult task, at best, with tight deadlines. Despite the properly noticed meetings, there were no public comments nor participation at any of the Cemetery Commission meetings. Public engagement is vitally important for a commission that is elected by the voters.
I would like to encourage more publicity online through social media and in print so that voters are aware of upcoming decisions that affect their cemeteries.
