Marion “Peg” Rowell, 83, Taught at Haverhill High School

Marion “Peg” Rowell, 83, died peacefully Aug. 9, in Falmouth, Maine.

She was born Dec. 23, 1932, in Haverhill, to parents James Francis Walsh and Martha Rose (Moonoogian) Walsh. Rowell graduated from Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, and received her master’s from Boston University. She was married to Richard Douglas Wormwood of Haverhill, for 17 years with whom she had two daughters. They lived in Byfield and Waterville, Maine, where Rowell, an art enthusiast and avid gardener, served as docent for the Colby College Art Museum and president of the Garden Club of Waterville. An ardent lover of English literature and the classic canon, she shared her passion for the written word and good grammar with English students at Haverhill High School in the 1950s and later with sixth graders at the Pleasant Street School in Waterville. Sixth grade students fondly recall her teaching of great novels like “The Hobbit” and her philosophy of “Good, better, best; never let it rest, ‘til your good is better and your better best.”

Rowell married Robert C. Rowell of Waterville, and they traveled the world extensively during their 35 years of marriage visiting 65 countries. She loved England — especially the Cotswolds, her home away from home — and Camden, Maine, where she lived for over a decade. She was active in both the Christian Science Society in Waterville and the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Camden. A student of classical music and an opera lover, she played the piano and sometimes substituted as a church organist. She cherished music, a force in her life from childhood days until her last. She was known for her musicality, gracious hosting and cooking talents, her stylish dress, a smile that could light up any room and a generous spirit.

Rowell is pre-deceased by her parents, and brother, Edward Walsh. She is survived by daughters, Lisa Joy (Wormwood) of Falmouth, Maine, and Erica Rowell of New York City; granddaughter, Tarrah Tibbetts and great grandson, Scott Cornelison, Missoula, Mont.; sister, Rosalie Rand of New Hampshire; and various cousins, nieces and nephews.

Visiting hours at the Monument Square Chapel of Paul C. Rogers Family Funeral Home, 334 Main St., Haverhill, will be Friday, Aug. 12, from 4 to 7 p.m., followed by a celebration of Rowell’s life at 7 p.m. Burial in Linwood Cemetery, Haverhill, will be private. A memorial service will also take place in Falmouth, Maine, at a later date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.