Marjorie (Jerry) Hopkins Smallwood

1934-2020

On June 10, 2020, with nearly all the members of her immediate family gathered around her, Marjorie (Jerry) Smallwood finally succumbed to Lewy Body Disease after a long and courageous fight.

Jerry was born in Montclair, New Jersey on November 23, 1934. She graduated from Montclair High School in 1952, and from Smith College in 1956, where she majored in childhood education. This marked the beginning of a lifelong devotion to educating children and generally improving their situation.

Her first job out of college was teaching third grade in Needham, MA. While living with friends in Boston she met Richard (Dick) Smallwood on a blind date. They were married 8 months later to begin 61 years of living and working together. They raised three children and embarked on major interests in tennis, hiking, traveling, running, bridge, backpacking, and tandem touring.

Jerry followed her interests in childhood education by devoting serious amounts of time working as a: third grade teaching aid, curriculum developer for Environmental Volunteers, and leader of Palo Alto girls’ softball. In 1984 she had an idea ahead of its time. She founded Pursuit of Excellence (POE), a scholarship program to provide financial support and mentoring to first generation, low-income, local high school students. Under her excellent guidance and mentoring along with generous donations from friends, the program grew steadily and exists today. She, along with Dick, won the 2016 Avenidas Lifetimes of Achievement award for their work on POE. During the summer she could frequently be found in her sunny kitchen, catching up with one of her scholarship students, providing support and figuring out what they needed to be successful. Her fondest memories were of time spent at Saltaire, Fire Island, where she enjoyed time with all generations of the family every summer of her life for 55 years. Known for her ready smile and quick wit, Jerry was the glue that held her family together. We will miss her.

She is preceded in death by her daughter, Lee, her parents, Donald and Marjorie Hopkins, her brother, Nathaniel Hopkins, and her sister, Carol Brown. She is survived by her husband, Dick, her three children, Scott (Carol Ann), Carol (Jim) Mullin, and Bradley and seven grandchildren.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be directed to the peninsula Pursuit of Excellence Scholarship Program.