We are saddened to note the passing of Margarita “Marg” Balcom on Tuesday, October 24, 2023. She served the Natick Historical Society (NHS) in myriad ways, and her presence is deeply missed.
Marg joined the board of directors in 2009 and stepped down twelve years later in 2021. She served as vice president during 2013-14; in 2014, she became president. Marg served as president until 2017. Remarkably, at various times, Marg also served as director of the organization in gaps between paid directors. In those moments, she became the glue that held the organization together. Her willingness to step up and keep the NHS going speaks volumes about her commitment to Natick and local history. As she always said: “Sometimes, you just do.” And because she “just did,” the NHS is thriving today.
Marg’s five children and two additional donors have established the Marg Balcom Memorial Archival Fellowship to honor her extraordinary commitment to the NHS. The fellowship supports emerging and aspiring professionals in archives to gain paid experience in the field that Marg embraced here at the NHS. The family has requested any donations made in Marg’s memory be directed toward the Marg Balcom Memorial Archival Fellowship.
Please read the full obituary here.
Marg and her family at the reopening of the Natick History Museum in April 2023.