Richard Guy Marden

Richard Guy Marden Helped Towns, Cities and School Districts Wolfeboro – Richard Guy “Dick” Marden, 90, died Feb. 16, 2014. The cause of death was congestive heart failure. He was the son of Guy and Ruby (Kent) Marden. He was born in Wolfeboro, August 14, 1923, graduated from Carpenter School, attended Brewster Free Academy and graduated from Holderness School. For two summers while in school he worked as a life guard at Brewster Beach and one summer as waterfront director at a private boys camp. For another two years he worked as the night police officer in Wolfeboro. His studies at the University of New Hampshire were interrupted in 1942 when he enlisted in the army. After the war he graduated from UNH with a degree in Government. Then he was selected as a Fels Scholar at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, earning a master’s degree in government administration. He studied further at Harvard and the Sorbonne in Paris, France. He played football in high school, but his favorite sports were tennis and alpine ski racing. He pursued these sports into his seventies. He was captain of the Brewster ski team and later worked nights and weekends for the National Ski Patrol. He was president of the Harrisburg Area Junior Ski Racing Club with its 106 young members. Major Marden served more than 38 years in the army and air force on active duty and Ready Reserves. In retirement he flew with the military to bases around the world including Norway north of the Arctic Circle and a jungle in Panama. His entire working career, after school, was directing non-profit organizations, helping them better serve their citizens, towns, cities and school districts. He was the first town manager of Ashland, NH, then directed the New Jersey School Boards Federation, the New Hampshire Municipal Association and the Pennsylvania League of Cities. One of his passions was Staffordshire china with early American views. He bought, sold, collected, lectured and wrote on this subject nights and weekends. He worked on this passion for more than 50 years. His daughter Elaine Marden Shackford of Conway joined him as a partner in the business. Together they bought, sold, and collected more than 10,000 lots of this china. Dick is survived by two daughters, Anne Marden of East Greenwich, RI and Elaine Marden Shackford of Conway, NH. He was predeceased by a daughter, Kathleen Kent Marden. Grandchildren are Zachary Rotondo, Alexandra Shackford, Samuel Shackford, and Samuel Rotondo. A Memorial Service will be held at The First Baptist Church in Wolfeboro 12:00 PM Saturday March 1, 2014 a reception will follow at the church. Burial will be in Pine Hill Cemetery in the spring. The Baker-Gagne Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Wolfeboro is assisting the family with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in his memory to the Appalachian Mt. Club, 5 Joy St., Boston, MA 02108.