Mary Elizabeth “Molly” Logan

Logan—Mary Elizabeth “Molly” Logan, 91, on April 10, 2023, of heart failure at Cokesbury Village retirement community in Hockessin, Del. From her birth on April 6, 1932, in Moorestown, N.J., to parents Dorothy and Robert Wood, Molly maintained a rootedness in her origins and the Quaker religion in which she was raised. Her life reflected her commitment to community; to both lifelong and recent friendships; to the natural world explored on vacations at her beloved “second home” in the Poconos; and to service for others.

Her busy life as a homemaker in the suburbs of northern New Jersey; Boston, Mass.; Philadelphia, Pa.; and finally Wilmington, Del., included both serious tennis and volunteer services—to Cub Scouts; Abington Friends School; Philadelphia public schools; and her PEO Sisterhood (Philanthropic Educational Organization), for which she served two terms as chapter president. She was a dedicated supporter of Hockessin (Del.) Meeting; Moorestown Friends School (class of 1949); and Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass., where she served for many years as class of 1953 treasurer.

Remarkably optimistic and playful by nature, Molly had a gift for providing solutions to problems simple and complex, thanks to her native thoughtfulness, curiosity, and keen mind—a blessing to her often impatient husband, Richard.

Despite seven years of declining health, Molly always portrayed a cheerful attitude, an indomitable spirit, and a curious and thoughtful intellect.

Molly was predeceased by her parents, Dorothy and Robert Wood; a sister, Peggy Blood; a brother-in-law, George Blood; and a niece, Deborah Blood.

She is survived by her husband, Richard W. Logan Jr.; one child, Christopher W. Logan (Heidi); two grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and a nephew, Robert Blood.

Tillotson—Joan Sinclair Tillotson, 95, on December 22, 2022, at Friends Homes retirement community in Greensboro, N.C. Joan was born on May 25, 1927, to Victoria and Byron Tillottson in Fort Edward, N.Y. At Fort Edward High School, Joan excelled in physical education and music. She spent two years at Green Mountain College, a women’s college (now closed) in Vermont. She graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland, where she found her calling as a physical education teacher.

Joan taught in public schools in New York state before earning her master’s degree from the University of Iowa, where she became interested in modern dance. For two years she taught dancing, swimming, and other activities at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill. Joan taught at her alma mater SUNY Cortland for six years, taking a year off to return to the University of Iowa to get her doctorate in physical education with a focus on elementary school teaching. She moved to England to learn about “movement education,” then spent ten years in public schools designing a movement education program for elementary schools. She returned to postsecondary education, teaching at the University of Massachusetts, followed by 17 years at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she taught folk dance, square dance, gymnastics, swimming, and other disciplines. In all, Joan would teach for 42 years.

Wanderlust and adventure were Joan’s forever friends. During the 1970s, for two years Joan traveled around the United States camping. Well into her 60s, she bungee jumped, soared above the earth in a hot air balloon, jumped out of an airplane, rode her bike up the coast of Portugal, and went whitewater rafting. Most notably, Joan backpacked all over the world for months at a time with her dear friend and sister-in-law, Betty Tillotson, visiting India, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Central and South America.

In the 1970s and ’80s, Joan was active in the nascent women’s equality and gay rights movements. Twice she rode her bike with her niece, “Little” Joan Adams, from Boston to New York to raise money for AIDS prevention. Ten years ago, the Old Lesbians Oral Herstory Project captured Joan’s memories and wit.

In the 1990s, Joan began attending Charlotte (N.C.) Meeting, becoming a member in 1995. She was active in the life of the meeting, serving as clerk and on various committees. Joan is remembered as one who was willing to be silly and fun as well as deep. At Piedmont Friends Fellowship retreats, she helped lead Saturday night folk dancing. As a faithful attender of Friends General Conference Gatherings, she regularly provided musical accompaniment for those rising early for morning worship and played with the string and pipe band that accompanied folk dancing late into the evening.

Joan enjoyed several important romantic relationships. The last and most powerful was with Sue Cronkite, Joan’s partner who was with her till the end.

Challenged by cognitive impairment a decade ago, Joan moved to Friends Homes in Greensboro, N.C. She made many friends there, worshiped with Friendship Meeting, and enjoyed attending concerts and lectures at nearby Guilford College.

Joan was predeceased by her parents, Victoria and Byron Tillottson; and seven siblings, Muriel Tillotson, Virginia Adams, Calvin Tillotson, Olin Tillotson, Hilton Tillotson, Brooks Tillotson, and Sandi Norton.

She is survived by her partner, Sue Cronkite; and many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, and great-grandnieces and -grandnephews.