We are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Suzanne Gall Marsh last month. Suzanne has been a pioneering advocate for the Boston Harbor Islands since her first visit to Gallops Island in 1978. In 1979 she founded the Boston Harbor Islands Volunteer Corps, later called the Volunteers and Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands, Inc., to provide direct services to the Boston Harbor Islands State Park (now the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park) and conduct public education programs, including boat trips and advocacy efforts. She facilitated the donation of that organization’s records to the UMass Boston Archives in 2012, and has worked with us over the years to bolster our growing collections in this area—including collecting community stories about the Harbor Islands.
Suzanne worked for the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park as an interpreter and ranger and for Boston Harbor Cruises as a narrator. She conducted tours on different islands and was involved in starting trips to Boston Light on Little Brewster Island in 1986. In an administrative capacity, Suzanne was a member of the Advisory Council for the Boston Harbor Islands Partnership, an organization comprised of multiple government and nonprofit agencies that manage the islands. Beginning in 2010, Suzanne became an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) member and later Program Facilitator at the University of Massachusetts Boston, teaching the course “Exploring the Boston Harbor Islands.” Suzanne received a BA from UMass Boston and participated in the university’s Women in Politics and Public Policy Program.
Explore the records of the Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands, Suzanne’s papers related to the Harbor Islands, and a short interview with Suzanne about her connection to the Harbor Islands from our Mass. Memories Road Show program. Contact library.archives@umb.edu for more information about these materials.