Waldorf in the Home

The Spock family was prominent in New Haven, as her father was a corporate lawyer there and her older brother, Dr. Benjamin Spock, was later a world-renowned pediatrician, known through "The Baby Book," which changed the way children were brought up and viewed, and known for his work against the Vietnam War. At 18, Marjorie went to Dornach, Switzerland, to meet and work with Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy. This had deep significance for her life, especially her study of the dynamics of human movement, through Eurythmy. After her final return to the U.S., she received her BA and MA degrees from Columbia University at the age of 38. During her studies, she began a prominent career as a teacher and the head of the Dalton Middle School and teacher at the Fieldston Lower School, both progressive schools in New York City. She also taught at The Rudolf Steiner School in New York City and The Waldorf School in Garden City, Long Island.

With her deep understanding of nature and as an avid Bio-Dynamic gardener, Marjorie's work took on an added dimension when, in the area where she and her friend Polly Richards lived, on Long Island, N.Y., the government began aerial spraying of DDT against the perceived gypsy moth epidemic. She and Polly, who helped finance the legal action, brought a case with 10 other people against the United States government for the continued DDT spraying. Marjorie and Polly were formidable leaders for this commitment to the health of the earth. Organic, Bio-Dynamic food was a life-saving matter for Polly, who was in ill health. For Marjorie, the concern was for her friend's health, and the constitutional right as a property owner to keep her land, as she wanted it, free of government infringement.

This team was brilliant, committed and erudite. According to Marjorie, the "government ran roughshod over anyone who got in the way of the new technology. They brushed us off like so many flies." The federal judge, appointed by President Eisenhower, threw out 72 uncontested admissions for the plaintiffs and denied their petitions. From the summer of 1957 to 1960, when the case reached the Supreme Court, Marjorie wrote a report to interested and influential friends of each day's progress in and out of court, each evening after work.

Rachel Carson heard of this and soon got these daily briefings because she realized that the testimony from the experts that Marjorie had found, would be valuable for her own research. This case, along with a massive bird kill on Cape Cod, was the springboard for the writing of "Silent Spring." The trial took only 22 days, and toward the end, Rachel Carson asked for the transcript. They became close collaborators and friends. Though the plaintiffs lost the case, they won the right to bring an injunction in court, so that prior to a destructive environmental event, a full and proper scientific a review had to be made. Marjorie always described it, saying, "We lost the battle but won the war." This became the germinal legal action for the environmental movement in the United States. There has been continuous interest in this case since that time. Recently, Marjorie was interviewed for a documentary on Rachel Carson.

After the case, Marjorie moved to Chester, N.Y., where she farmed, bringing Bio-Dynamic produce to a larger public. She worked closely with Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, the renowned soil scientist, and compost and farm adviser for Bio-Dynamic movement. As a beloved destination since childhood, in 1965, Marjorie moved to Maine, where she lived and worked for the next 43 years as an inspiring teacher, eurythmist, author, Bio-Dynamic farmer, translator and mentor to the many people, young and old, who came to see her. Until last Thursday, she held a study group, which has been ongoing since 1965, and to which people came from all over the state. Visitors, from all over the world, and wonderful neighbors, were always heartily welcomed and experienced wide-ranging and deep conversations, wise counsel and humor.

Amongst Marjorie Spock's writings are "Teaching as a Lively Art," her master's thesis; "In Celebration of the Human Heart;" "Eurythmy;" "To Look on Earth With More Than Mortal Eyes;" and "Fairy Worlds and Workers: A Natural History of Fairyland." The two pamphlets, "Group Moral Artistry I: Reflections on Community Building" and "Group Moral Artistry II: The Art of Goethean Conversation," have had a readership around the world. Her love and understanding of the mystery of language can be seen in her article, "A B C D E F G: The Secret Life of Letters."

Surviving Marjorie Spock are several nephews, grand nieces and Mary Morgan, the wife of Dr. Benjamin Spock.

In the 100th year of her life Marjorie produced, directed and choreographed a video about Eurythmy which was filmed at Hammond Hall in Winter Harbor, followed by two short training films at 101 and 102 years of age.

The last few years have been amongst the happiest and most productive, because of the loving help and care that Kim Smith gave Marjorie. Many around the world are grateful for this, as she was then able to work tirelessly for the understanding of the goodness of mankind and for the health of the earth.

A funeral service was held Jan. 26, 2008, at Hammond Hall, Winter Harbor. On Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008, at 10:30, a Christian Community service, The Act of Consecration for Marjorie Spock, will be held at New Elm Farm, 27 Lambert Road, Freeport. (Tel: 865-4019). For those wishing to make donations, there are two possibilities: The Foundation for Human Movement Studies (supporting the mission of Spatial Dynamics), c/o Susan Harrington, 47 Spice Mill Road, Clifton Park, NY 12065, The Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association, 25844 Butler Road, Junction City, OR 97448.