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Margaret Rose Sullivan Guthrie ’47

Margaret Rose Sullivan Guthrie ’47, December 4, 2013, in Santa Rosa, California. Madge (or Sully) was a valedictorian in her Colorado high school and received a scholarship to Reed, where she pursued an interest in chemistry. Madge and George B. Guthrie ’40 married in 1946 and moved to Pasadena, where Madge enrolled at Caltech and completed a BS in chemistry. They then moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and began a family. Following their divorce in 1960, Madge went to California. She was a science editor for the Stanford Research Institute, and there met Bruce Barclay. They married and made a home in Malibu. She became a resident of Santa Rosa in 1991. Madge was a photographer, a writer, and an editor, who sought to convey intellectual joy and to combat ignorance through her work. She took pride in her personal library and read thousands of books, noting each one in the journal she began in high school. Beyond an enjoyment of reading and a passion for learning, Madge developed an expertise in numerous other subjects that fascinated her, including sewing and acting. She is remembered as an engaging individual who enjoyed lively and in-depth conversation on a wide range of topics. Reflecting on her education later in life, Madge stated that Reed was part of a continuum of learning and a gem in recollection. “The variety of learning Reed provided increased knowledge and confidence, useful in my several occupations.” Survivors include three sons and three grandchildren.

Appeared in Reed magazine: June 2014

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