Marcia Seward Obituary

Marcia Seward passed away peacefully on June 28, 2025, after a brief illness, maintaining her happy, smiling disposition to the end. Her beloved sister Valerie, having died four days earlier, likely met her in the Market Basket parking lot so they could carpool skyward together.
Marcia enjoyed an idyllic childhood in Rockport, MA with her parents, Michael and Doris and twin sisters, Deborah and Valerie. There she also met her future husband of 44 years, John Seward, when she was only 13 years old. Marcia loved many things in life but nothing more than her family. She was a rock star mother to her children, Hilary and Lindsay, but there are many who would consider her to have been a surrogate mom.
Aside from her family and many friends, Marcia loved painting and traveling, with Italy reigning as her favorite place on earth (where, perhaps, a charming restaurant napkin might occasionally find its way into her purse – mi scusi!). She was masterful at making a posy with flowers from her garden and friends could expect this lovely treat for any momentous occasion. Her talent for gardening was evident both at her home and in Chatham. Her tablescapes were second to none, long before Martha Stewart, and she loved to entertain with delicious home cooked meals, introducing friends to delicious Arabic cuisine, a nod to her father's roots. Christmas and the Fourth of July were her favorite holidays (ohhh! ahhh!) and she never missed a parade or fireworks. Shopping was high on the list of things she loved. Church fairs, yard sales, Filene's Basement - true to her Yankee roots, she loved a bargain! She loved birds, babies and flowers, tiny things, eating lobster, making homemade bread and a bright sunny day. She adored her grandchildren, Finn, Everly and Olivia. She did not love snakes or thunderstorms.
She will be dearly missed by her son-in-law, Steve Kempainen, nieces Abby and Michele Wyckoff and Doris Watson and Lauren Clyde. Her family wishes to thank the entire staff at Herrick House Assisted Living for their sincere devotion to her care and happiness in the final year of her life.
In lieu of flowers, please enjoy the birdsong and take note of a pretty garden.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Marcia, please visit our floral store.