Patricia “Penny” Derr March was born in New York City on May 23, 1935, to Andrew Fine Derr, Jr. and Elizabeth Detwiller Derr. She lived in Manhattan with her parents and grandmother, and while her father served in WWII; then in Morristown, NJ. Her summers were spent hiking, fishing, and camping in the High Peaks at the Derr/Lowrie family summer homestead in Keene Valley, NY.

She schooled at Chapin School in Manhattan, Peck School in Morristown, NJ, Kent Place in Summit, NJ, and at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, CT, where the Derrs were a Legacy family. She then attended Bryn Mawr College at 17. She met and married Robert “Bob” Morgan March who was attending Haverford College. They welcomed their first child, Elizabeth “Bitsy” while living in Cambridge, MA in 1955. Margaret “Pegg” and Andrew Paul were born in 1956 and 1961. The family was joined by Bob’s mother, Margaret Ash March, in 1962, and she lived with them until her death in 1998.

The March family relocated frequently due to Bob’s career with American Cyanamid Corporation, lived in Cheshire and Old Saybrook, CT, and Boxford, MA, while the alpine skiing scene in the 60s brought them to Vermont on each winter weekend and summers were split between Keene Valley, NY and Chebeague Island, ME. Penny was active for several years building stage sets for community theater in Cheshire, and through her life she enjoyed reading, painting; playing the piano, wind and brass instruments; writing poetry and haiku; floral and vegetable gardening; French cooking; skiing; women’s golf league at Fox Run, and long seasons of golf with her husband in VT, NY, Hilton Head, and the Ausable Club; raising her children and numerous pets, both domestic and wild; birdwatching and banding, naturalism and annual foraging for morels, chanterelles, ramps and fiddleheads. She was a faithful and joyful volunteer at Okemo Mountain as a Ski Runners Instructor for 35 years, until she was 79.

When the Marches decided to retire from the world of intra-corporate transfers and move to Woodstock, Vermont on a permanent basis in 1970, they relocated briefly to their ski chalet on Okemo Mtn. and, after one year at Okemo, purchased “Rose Hill”, brokered by a former neighbor and friend from Cheshire, CT, Georgina Williamson: it was Georgie’s first sale. While Bob continued work for American Cyanamid and started his own business in VT, Penny daily commuted the kids to the Woodstock area schools and hand-on renovated the neglected “Rose Hill” property: painting, plastering, plumbing, glazing, insulating: she was fond of Bill Wood’s hardware store in Lincoln Corners and The Paint Spot. Penny was as adept at handling a chainsaw as a chinois.

Penny loved Vermont in its natural glory. Foraging for and preparing wild foods in her three favorite locales – Vermont, the Adirondacks, and Chebeague Island, ME – was one of her most pleasurable hobbies. Penny was a second mother, mentor, and friendly ear to numerous friends of her children- from Vermont and New England- and she helmed a welcoming house full of books, music, good food, and friendly advice.

Penny is predeceased by her dear husband and 62-year partner in life, Robert Morgan “Bob” March. She is survived by her brother Andrew F “Andy” Derr III (Elizabeth); her daughter Elizabeth M “Bitsy” Harley of Reading, VT; daughter Margaret M “Pegg” Hislop (Richard); son A. Paul March, and daughter-in-law Sally Menzies March. She is also survived by grandchildren: Albert E Harley, Emma T Harley (Alex), Richard D Hislop (Alyssa), Morgan H Lemaitre (Daniel), Dr. Lillian M Hislop (Becca), Abby C March, Holly E March, Wade H Palmer (Loren). Her great-grandchildren are Clover Bradford Harley, Alexander P Gee Jr, Oliver M and Richard T Hislop, Sadie D Palmer, and Penelope A “Poppy” Lemaitre.

A celebration of her life for friends and family will be held in August at “Hills Garden” in Keene Valley, NY.