Longtime Eaglebrook faculty member Marshall Coleman passed away on April 6, 2015. Marshall ended his career at Eaglebrook as the school's archivist. Watch some recordings of his wonderful assemblies about the history of Eaglebrook
here. Please read his obituary below and feel free to leave a comment about Marshall on the website.
Marshall B. Coleman passed away quietly on 4/6/15 after a brave battle against a progressive respiratory illness. Marshall (72) was the only son of William Coleman and Donna Schuyler Beekman. Marshall grew up in New York City and graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1960. He spent much of his summers (1957-1977) at his beloved Adirondack Camp in Glenburnie, New York, first as a camper and later as a counselor in charge of Riflery. He also served as the camp’s office administrator. He graduated from Beloit College in Beloit Wisconsin in 1964 with a BA degree in mathematics and German. Shortly thereafter Marshall took summer courses at the University of Salzburg, Austria in 1967, at the University of Trier, Germany in 1974, as well as various classes at the University of Massachusetts becoming certified by the State of Massachusetts to teach mathematics at the secondary level. Ever curious he was a voracious reader.
Following Beloit Marshall took a position teaching mathematics at the Eaglebrook School in Deerfield MA. He brought both wit and precision to all his responsibilities as a dorm parent, teacher of mathematics and German and coach of soccer and skiing. Hardly immune to humorous adventures in the dorm, he was indefatigable in helping all students regardless of their ability and organization. He could advance those most competent as well as relentlessly pursue those who had yet to acquire a firm foundation or appreciation for structure. Marshall also managed with characteristic precision the school’s rifle program teaching respect for safety as well as accuracy. When Eaglebrook renovated the rifle range in 2007 it was appropriately dedicated as the Marshall B. Coleman Rifle Range.
In 2003 Marshall retired as full time teacher and joined Eaglebrook’s Alumni and Development Office as a researcher and most importantly the school’s Archivist. His dedication to order and organization as well as his deep curiosity resulted in the cataloguing of a seemingly overabundance of papers, school publications, and photographs ensuring the school’s history would not be forgotten. Many of the “lost” alumni were brought back into the fold of the Eaglebrook family as Marshall contacted them and followed and recorded their educational and career trajectories. An avid traveler, Marshall enjoyed his trips to Mexico in the winter and France in the summers.
As Marshall’s health declined over the past year a multitude of both current faculty members and local friends rallied to support and assist him enabling him to continue his vital work ensuring Eaglebrook’s history was recorded and secure. He was beloved by all both for his wit and curiosity as well as his determination to do his job at the highest level of integrity and organization.
In addition to his more than forty years of devoted service to Eaglebrook School, Marshall was a committed, long term communicant of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Greenfield, MA where he took particular joy in being involved with the choir. His dry wit and sense of humor will be missed by those who knew him well. In lieu of flowers, please make gifts in honor of Marshall to support a day student scholarship at Eaglebrook School and/or to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Greenfield.
A service celebrating his life will be held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Greenfield at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 18th.