Dr. Marianne Nucci Prout passed away Monday, September 7, 2026, after a struggle with dementia at the age of 81.

Marianne was born in South Bend, Indiana, on July 26, 1945, to Fred and Anne Nucci, as their third child. Her older sister Jo-Ann and brother Alfred welcomed her into the family. She grew up feeling like an outsider in South Bend, interested in books and learning. During her childhood, she wanted to be a doctor and to leave Indiana, both of which she would accomplish. She left home for Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in 1963, and graduated in 1967 with a degree in chemistry. She moved to New York City to attend Cornell Medical School from 1967 to 1971, graduating with her MD degree. She completed her residency and then a hematology/oncology fellowship and settled at Boston City Hospital and Boston University School of Medicine by 1977. In 1982, she obtained her Master’s in Public Health from Harvard University and focused her research for the rest of her career on cancer screening and prevention. She transitioned to the School of Public Health as it was formed and won multiple awards for her teaching. Over the course of her career, she published 62 academic papers, significantly impacting cancer screening and care. She wanted to live a life making an impact on the world around her, leading her to choose a career as a doctor, researcher, and a teacher. She retired from Boston University in 2014.

While in college, she met Robert Prout, and they married in the summer of 1967. She would say, throughout her adult life, that her two goals in life were to be a doctor and to be a mother. She achieved both, having three children, Matthew, Rebecca, and Andrew. After completing her medical training, the family settled in Westwood, Massachusetts, in 1978. She and Robert separated in 1984 and later divorced. In 2015, she moved to Hudson, New Hampshire, near her youngest child, Andrew, and his family. Spending time with her grandchildren brought her immense joy.

Marianne is survived by her older sister Jo-Ann, two of her children, Matthew and Andrew, and 8 grandchildren. Per her wishes and in line with her career and life choices, her body was donated to medical research, one last act to positively impact our world.