Marilyn R. Otterson

On Friday, February 18, Marilyn (Armstrong) Otterson passed from this world to the next, just two weeks after her 84th birthday.

Marilyn was born in Boston to her loving parents Albert Armstrong and Verna (Goff) Armstrong.  She grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts, where she attended Wellesley High School.

She graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a B.A. Ed. in 1960.  Shortly thereafter, she married Bernard Otterson, with whom she raised three children. She and Bernie were delighted to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 2010, surrounded by friends and family.

Marilyn moved with her family to Bedford, NH in 1970.  She met new friends at the Craftworkers’ Guild in Bedford, where she eventually served many years as President, and was instrumental in the Guild’s relocation to the historic Kendall House.  

She loved making art.  Marilyn was a gifted painter in oil and watercolors, she made beautiful dried flower arrangements, wreaths, enamel on copper, batik and dye painting and pottery. She loved to craft with her friends, and enjoyed spending time with her sorority sisters and gatherings with her friends from AAUW.

Marilyn loved to write about travel and dining.  She wrote restaurant reviews of local restaurants for many years. She and her husband Bernie traveled throughout the Caribbean and Mexico, Virgin Islands, Iceland, Italy, Sicily, Scandinavia, The Netherlands, England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband Bernard and her brother Bert.  She is survived by her children, Lin L’Heureux of Amherst, NH, Jeffrey Otterson of Marietta, GA, Marjorie Otterson, of Framingham, MA, and her granddaughter, Natalie Otterson of Atlanta, GA.

A celebration of life and service for Marilyn will be held Thursday, February 24th, from 11 AM - 1 PM, at Phaneuf Funeral Home, 243 Hanover Street, Manchester NH. Burial will be in Middleboro, Massachusetts in the Spring of 2022.