Mrs. Marston

Nancy Marston, a longtime resident of Los Altos who was instrumental in the success of the Los Altos Art Docents program, died Feb. 24 after a long illness. Mrs. Marston was 77.

Mrs. Marston, an accomplished watercolorist, joined the docent program, which supplements the art curriculum of local public schools, in 1970. She served as coordinator of the program for 14 years.

“She was a very enthusiastic, very creative person,” recalled friend Marlene Grove, who brought the art docent program to the Los Altos School District. Grove recruited Mrs. Marston to join the art docents. “She stayed and worked with the volunteers - you have to have that one person to keep it going,” Grove said.

Mrs. Marston’s passion for art and community involvement extended beyond the docent group. She also helped organized the annual Arts Alive event at the Los Altos United Methodist Church and was instrumental in starting the outdoor sculpture program run through the city of Los Altos.

Her membership and work with the Los Altos Arts Committee helped bring several artistically significant sculptures to the community.

Mrs. Marston’s work could be found on a variety of posters for community events over the years, and at various exhibits.

Born in Washington, D.C., Mrs. Marston grew up in Chevy Chase, Md., with four sisters and one brother. She graduated from Western Maryland, now McDaniel College, majoring in math with a minor in art.

After college, Mrs. Marston worked for a short period of time at Johns Hopkins physics labs in Silver Springs, Md.

Mrs. Marston married Alan Marston on June 10, 1951. They moved to Glendora, California in 1956 and to Los Altos in 1967, where they have resided since.

“Nancy dedicated her life to her passions: family, friends, art and travel … in particular to France. Above all, she was a passionate connoisseur of life itself,” the family said in a statement.

Mrs. Marston is survived by Alan, her husband of 54 years; their four children, Dick Marston, Beverly Marston, Brad Marston and Liz Meyer; two daughters-in-law, Linda Marston and Marcie Marston; two sons-in-law, Bill Runyon and Don Meyer; and seven grandchildren, Bryce and Brooke Marston, Tyler and Sarah Runyon, Zach and Zoe Meyer and Anna Marston. Services were held last Thursday.

In her memory, donations may be made to the Nancy Marston Fund (make checks payable to the Los Altos Art Docents and send to: Los Altos Art Docent Office, c/o Nan Bajka, 201 Covington Road, Los Altos 94022) or to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718.