Canton remembers Marilyn Rodman
By Jay TurnerMarilyn Rodman, a longtime Canton School Committee member, dedicated philanthropist, and a passionate supporter of the performing arts, passed away on Monday, May 13, following a lengthy illness.
A well-known and beloved figure in the Canton community, Rodman served the Canton Public Schools in an official capacity for 22 years and also worked tirelessly behind the scenes to strengthen the district’s music and theatre programs. Along with her husband, Don, she provided funding for countless students to play instruments, take music lessons, and attend theatre events, and her name was later memorialized on the school’s administration building.
Rodman also expanded her philanthropic efforts beyond Canton through the Marilyn Rodman Theatre for Kids program, a Boston-area charity that “introduces the wonder of live theatre” to thousands of at risk-children each year. In May 2012, she was honored with the prestigious Charles E. Rogerson Award for Community Service, which is given annually to an individual who demonstrates “outstanding efforts to build strong, healthy communities.”
Canton Selectman John Connolly, who previously served on the School Committee with Rodman, described her as a “true friend” and a “true hero,” a woman with a “wonderful sense of humor, sense of decency, and a true sense of loyalty.”
“My heart is broken today,” said Connolly. “You will never find a more caring, compassionate, or loving human being than Marilyn Rodman. Marilyn and I served together for six years on the School Committee and she taught me what serving your community is all about; in this case it was all about the kids. ‘It should always be about the kids,’ she told me more than once.”
“My sympathy goes out to Don and all the members of the Rodman family,” he added. “May God bless them. I will always have a special place in my heart for my friend Marilyn Rodman.”
Glen Hannington, who also served on the School Committee with Rodman for many years, described her as a “very kind, caring and giving person.”
“Marilyn once said, when she was asked what she would do with her last nickel, ‘I would donate the nickel to charity,’” said Hannington. “That’s the type of person she was. It was also a testament to her and Don for bringing up their very proud five sons and grandchildren while supporting their well-known charities. She will be severely missed.”
In addition to Don, her husband of 60 years, Rodman leaves her sons — Gene, Curtis, Craig, Brett, and Bart — as well as several in-laws, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and countless other family members and friends.
She will be remembered at a funeral service on Sunday, May 19, at Temple Beth Abraham. For details on the arrangements, see her obituary listing.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=20598
Posted by Jay Turner
on May 16 2013. Filed under Featured Content.
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