Marie M. Scruggs, 88, passed away peacefully Friday, November 15 at Cedarhurst Senior Living in Columbia, Missouri.
Born in a small town in West Texas, Marie spent her long, beautiful, and productive life without regard for any boundaries or expectations anyone might place on her. Marie lived abroad, traveled the world well into her eighties, taught young students for decades, and loved her family fiercely. Her life’s work—whether through service to her students or her community—was committed to civil rights, justice, and educational advancement and opportunity for all.
Iva Marie Menzies was born on January 15, 1936, in San Angelo, Texas, to William Jr. (Bill) and Anne (Crawford) Menzies of Menard, Texas. Marie spent her childhood on ranches in West Texas, learning about the ranch trade as well as how to make mouthwatering pies and dinner rolls from scratch, which her guests savored but could never recreate.
Marie pursued a career in education, first obtaining a bachelors degree with honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 1958, followed by graduate courses at Brown University. She also obtained a masters degree in education and a graduate degree as an Educational Specialist in from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1990. For decades, Marie served the children of her community, first as a science teacher and ultimately as Vice Principal at West Boulevard Elementary School in Columbia, Missouri. After her retirement, she never stopped teaching, taking her beloved granddaughters Lydia and Kate on adventures, visiting her son David in St. Louis or patiently teaching her son Kevin how to make that perfect pie from scratch.
Marie met the love of her life, Donald Scruggs, while he was a graduate student at Austin Theological Seminary. They married on August 3, 1957, after which they moved to New York City so that Donald could attend Union Theological Seminary and Marie taught elementary school in Easton, PA. During this time, Marie and Donald met and befriended several lifelong friends, including Bob and Nina Seaman.
Together, Marie and Donald traveled the world and the United States in pursuit of their careers and their shared respect for and curiosity about other cultures. They lived for extended periods of time in: New York City; Geneva, Switzerland; Xian, China; and Norman, Oklahoma. Marie was equally comfortable wherever she lived, growing her ever-expanding circle of kindred friends in each place. Although she loved to travel, she cherished coming back to her three “homes”: Columbia, Missouri; a seasonal home in the LaHave Islands, Nova Scotia (Canada); and her family’s ranch in Menard, Texas. Somehow, she managed to plant roots in each place as if she had never left any one of those homes for any period of time.
Marie is survived by her daughter Margo S. Seaman (David P. Seaman) of Mountainside, New Jersey and sons David W. Scruggs of St. Louis, Missouri and Kevin A. Scruggs of Wheaton, Maryland; and her two beloved granddaughters Lydia Anne Menzies Sea-man and Kathleen Louise Seaman. She is also survived by a large group of extended family and friends who already miss her terribly, including her cousins and niece, Cynthia Orr in Texas, as well as daughterin- law Moxila Upadhyaya. Marie’s family would particularly like to honor and thank the family of Prof. William B. Fisch, with whom Marie found love and companionship after Marie lost her husband Donald, especially Molly and Danny Myers, along with their children Will, Layla, Susie, and Sadie. The family also thanks the staff and nurses at Cedarhurst Senior Living in Columbia, MO, who provided quality care and love to Marie while she resided there.
Marie never tired of learning. She studied and became a Master Gardener. Marie often lost herself observing a new bird, flower, antique, or textile she had never before seen. Marie was one of those rare people who, as Stephen Sondheim wrote, could “notice every tree.” She would be thrilled if you could stop today, take a moment to learn something new, and notice every tree.
Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Stephens College, Donald Scruggs Civic Engagement Scholarship Fund. A celebration of life will be held in 2025.