The Biography of Marlene Schroeder

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Marlene Schroeder (1934-2016) On April 18, 2016, Marlene Schroeder passed from this present world to the world of melted clocks as seen in her favorite surreal painting "Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dali.

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Marlene Schroeder will be remembered for her devotion to education and passion for the environment. Marlene was a 1958 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Illinois, earning their gold scholarship key all four years. Marlene began her teaching career in East Aurora, Ill. When she began teaching in La Grange Park, Illinois, she developed her career-long interest in teaching early math and began to write math textbooks. Her math teaching was recognized at the local, state and national levels.

Locally, Marlene was proud to be recognized as the Amesbury 1996 Rotary Club Teacher of the Year. More recently she was chosen for the Educator's Wall of Fame in the Amesbury High School Lobby. She recalled her students and families with great joy.

Marlene and her life companion of 36 years Norman Rehn enjoyed many outdoor activities, especially canoeing and traveling out West to see desert wildflowers.   

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Marlene frequently said, “I am especially blessed to have wonderful friends and I treasure them forever.”

Marlene was an active proponent of environmental education. Her classes enjoyed many lessons on the environmentally-rich school grounds. She often quoted the world-famous biologist Edward O Wilson, who reminded us we are a part of nature, not apart from nature.

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For years, Marlene has been associated with the Parker River Clean Water Association. She has been a member of Essex County Greenbelt Association and Mass Audubon for many years.

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As an active member of Parker River Clean Water Association; she advocated aggressively for the protection of the Little River, a significant headwater to the Parker River and a sensitive watershed area.     As a member of Essex County Greenbelt, she worked hard to protect the land that covered the Upper Little River Watershed.

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