Marguerite B. Collier
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The family of Marguerite Bisson Collier, 93, share news of her passing peacefully on Wednesday, September 8, 2021 at Harvest Hill in Lebanon, NH , where she has been a resident since 2010. Marguerite and Bob Collier moved from Wellesley to Lebanon in 1994 to be closer to their daughter Heather, her husband, Don Vogel, and their young family.
The Colliers arrived in Wellesley in 1966 with their three children Rob, Heather, and Ron - all graduates of Wellesley High School. A dedicated educator, Marguerite spent her years in Wellesley as a 4th grade teacher at Bates and Perrin Elementary Schools. In retirement she continued to mentor young teachers and with Bob, they would travel back to Wellesley to have annual reunion lunches with her "teacher friends."
A lifelong volunteer, great organizer, and roll-up her sleeves doer, Marguerite's community service in Wellesley continued in Hanover - serving as president of the Harvest Hill Residents Association in her 90s. A great listener, she welcomed all opinions to the discussion. Friends in Wellesley will recall her fiercely competitive, strategic, and observant mind - consistently winning at Bridge. She took that competitive spirit to athletic events, whether for her children, her grandchildren or cheering wildly for the Boston Bruins and the Boston Red Sox. Preceded in death by her husband Bob, an adjunct professor at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, the two of them were known in Wellesley and Lebanon for their loving welcoming homes where they hosted guests from around the world.
Marguerite was preceded in death by her husband, Robert D. Collier, and son-in-law, Donald Vogel. She is survived by sons, Rob Collier (Diane) of Grand Rapids and Ron Collier (Anne) of Salt Lake City; daughter, Heather Vogel of Lebanon; grandchildren, Sara Vogel Williams, Jeff Vogel (Danielle), Willem Collier (Sara Mann), and Sam Collier; and great-grandchildren, Dana Williams and Grant Vogel.
Marguerite and Bob were active members of the Christian Science Church in Wellesley and then Hanover. All who engaged with Marguerite were blessed with her smile and inclusive spirit and will agree that she lived by the Golden Rule in a fulfilling life of 93 years dedicated to loving family, community, and our planet. She indeed modeled that commandment "love thy neighbor as thyself."
A private service for residents and staff of Harvest Hill is planned for October, and a family service will be scheduled once the border is open to Canadian relatives traveling by land. For those interested, the family is suggesting that honorary contributions be made to Harvest Hill, 23 Alice Peck Day Drive, Lebanon, NH 03766 to support the staff and nurses.