Marcia Kaplan Goldsmith

Marcia Kaplan Goldsmith, age 92, passed away peacefully on January 6, 2025 surrounded by her loving children and grandchildren. Born in Newburyport and raised in Amesbury, MA, she was the daughter of Esther and Ben Kaplan, local business owners known for their generosity and civic mindedness.

A strong student, Marcia earned a BA with honors in English from Jackson College (now Tufts University). After graduating, she spent three adventure-filled months driving across Europe with friends in a tiny Volkswagen. Her love of travel would continue throughout her life; she visited many places near and far, with a special love for those close to the sea, including the North Shore, Cape Cod, Alaska, Hawaii, and Japan.

After college, Marcia became an editor at Doubleday in New York City, where she worked with writer and illustrator Edward Gorey, among many others. In 1959, Marcia married Carl Goldsmith and stepped away from her career to raise a family in Florida. A quiet but effective activist, she worked to advance civil rights and to improve public education in Miami, which she often found lacking. She advocated for school integration and at one point successfully campaigned to remove a school principal who had expressed racist views.

Determined to return to the workforce following her divorce, she earned a law degree from the University of Miami, where she was one of just three women in her class. She returned to Massachusetts and built a career as an attorney for the state Department of Revenue. In later years she was active in Wellesley Neighbors, a member-led social network, planning events and working on the group’s newsletter as well as enjoying its many activities with friends.

Marcia was a lifelong advocate of social change, supporting a variety of environmental, health, education, and equal rights causes; she was delighted to attend a climate rally with her daughter when she was well into her 80s. A dedicated friend, she kept close ties with those she knew from all walks of life. She loved art, books, and the beach, but her greatest love was her family. She was especially proud of her five grandchildren and was a constant source of encouragement for them.

Marcia leaves behind her son Edward Goldsmith, his wife Leslie, and their children Marisa Rowlands and Ben Goldsmith; her daughter, Karen Partridge, her husband Robert, and their children Rachel, Sarah, and Alex Partridge; her grandsons-in-law Jamie Rowlands and Todd Nobles; her sister, Susan Karas; and many loving friends and relatives.

A private memorial service will be held on a later date. Donations in her memory may be made to WBUR or WGBH.