Marianne E. Simonoff

Marianne Elizabeth Simonoff (née Schmidt) passed away peacefully in Danvers, MA on Tuesday, January 16th, 2024, She was 97 years old. Marianne was a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and mother-in-law. She was independent, outgoing, gracious, and was respected by family and friends alike. She was born on November 26th, 1926 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and grew up in New Brunswick, NJ. She attended Douglass College for her undergraduate degree, the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington DC for her Masters, and SUNY Stonybrook for her PhD studies. While working in Washington, DC for the State Department, she had the opportunity to travel to many European countries for her research work. It was a period of her life for which she had many fond memories. Marianne married Victor Simonoff, an immigrant from Ukraine, in 1958. They lived in Queens and Manhattan while Victor pursued a degree in engineering at Columbia University. They then moved to Huntington, Long Island where they had two children, Greg and Paul, and eventually settled in Tolland, CT in 1971. Sadly, she was widowed at the age of 46 when Victor died suddenly. Rejoining the workforce after many years away, her resourcefulness and determination enabled her to send her sons to both prep school and college. She lived for another 45 years in Tolland. An active member of the Tolland Congregational Church, she served as a deacon for several years. She loved playing bridge and tennis and had many friends who joined her in these and other activities. In the final few years of Marianne’s life, she moved to Newburyport, MA where her son, Paul, cared for her until her death. Marianne had a wonderful sense of humor, imbued by her brother’s endless jokes and puns, and she could also easily laugh at herself when she made a gaffe. A consummate reader of all things political, she especially loved to read the New Yorker, and also had a subscription to National Geographic that dated back to the 1960s. She was an ardent supporter of PBS, which she watched almost exclusively (when not watching tennis)! She loved horses and one could always find a quick sketch of one anywhere in the house. She also liked to be behind the wheel and didn’t mind driving her car many miles to visit her family, even if just for a quick lunch. Marianne is predeceased by her parents George P. Schmidt (a professor at Douglass College) and Irma Schmidt (a piano teacher) and her talented artist brother George P. Schmidt Jr., who taught art history for 43 years at Pratt Institute. She leaves behind two devoted and loving sons, Greg Simonoff of Rowley, MA, and Paul Simonoff of Newburyport, MA. as well a step daughter Tania Griasnow of Kernersville, SC. She also leaves four grandchildren, Kristina Arsenault of Valdez, AK, Keira Simonoff Capobianco of Lynnfield, MA, and Anika and Sofia Simonoff of Rowley, MA. Furthermore, she leaves behind her great grandchildren, Natalie and Sebastian Bourgault, Iain Mattice, and Charlotte and Bodhi Capobianco. Marianne was creamated upon her request. Information on memorial and funeral services will be forthcoming. We send our love to all who knew and cherished her.