Marcia Lee Puryear, 83
Marcia Lee Puryear died peacefully on March 2, 2026, in hospice care in the comfort of her apartment in Wayland. She was born in Chicago on December 27, 1942. She spent much of her childhood growing up in the suburb of River Forest, Illinois. She spent summers in Saugatuck, Michigan, and Chautauqua, New York, with her grandparents and extended family.
Marcia received her bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and her master’s degree in deaf education, from Michigan State University. In college, Marcia met the love of her life, Gary Puryear. After graduating, Gary enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Wildflecken, Germany. Marcia saw an opportunity for a job at Ramstein Air Force Base near Kaiserslautern, Germany, and took it to be near Gary. She taught children who were deaf or hard of hearing in the elementary and middle schools on the base and enjoyed exploring Europe with Gary on their days off.
After returning home to the U.S., Marcia and Gary married in 1970 and ultimately settled in Acton to start their family. Marcia continued her teaching career, specializing in teaching hearing-impaired children and then in English as a second language in the Acton public school system. Her commitment to her students was deeply personal, and her students and their families were always sharing their appreciation of her efforts to guide and teach with patience and dedication.
Though she admitted she was not always athletic growing up (aside from some synchronized swimming and horseback riding), in her early 40s, Marcia developed a love for running, which blossomed into a passion. She identified herself as a runner and developed a network of friends, coaches, and even race “rivals” as she became a formidable competitor across the New England running community and beyond. Marcia tackled over a dozen marathons (including Boston, San Francisco, New Orleans, New York, and Chicago) across the United States and countless half-marathons, 10Ks, 5Ks, races to the peak of Mount Washington, and elite international track competitions with the Liberty Athletic Club. She often placed first in her age group and strove to improve her personal best times across races and distances. Almost every weekend for decades, she was a fixture with the Acton Runners, where she developed lifelong friendships that were deeply important to her. Marcia inspired her children to be runners as well and, over the years, ran several races with them and even her young grandchildren.
Marcia and Gary traveled often with friends and family to destinations such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, Peru, Chile, Bermuda, and even a trip through Europe with the Acton Minute Men. With school-age kids, Marcia and Gary planned ski trips and other adventures with friends, traveling in multifamily groups on school breaks. Together Marcia and Gary also spent summer days at their second house in Rockport before selling that and buying a house that became their retirement retreat: “Wit’s End” on Cape Cod. Marcia always looked forward to celebrating the Fourth of July Cape Cod style with her grandkids every year, planning activities and celebrating every moment together with them. She adored her grandchildren and created endless special moments with them.
Throughout her life she loved music, especially choir and symphony (or Neil Diamond and Elton John), always worked to stay connected with family and friends, found special meaning in even the small things in life, and had a terrific sense of humor. Her laugh and love will be terribly missed.
Marcia is survived by her daughter Kristen Puryear (Sean Donohue); her son Corey Puryear (Wendy); her grandchildren Maeve, Ellia, Morgan, and Carson; her sister Marilyn Slattery; her brother William McCollum (Diane Pyshos); and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Marcia for a period of visitation on Sunday, March 8, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Acton Funeral Home, 74 Belknap Street. In addition, the funeral service will be held Monday, March 9, at 11 a.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street. Burial is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, at 11:15 a.m. at Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.
Arrangements are under the care of Acton Funeral Home, A Life Celebration Home, Acton, concordfuneral.com.
