Marion Grace (Hampton) Mengert, 94, died in Exeter, New Hampshire on Dec. 10, 2023. She grew up in Euclid, Ohio, raised her family in Oak Park, and later moved to Exeter, New Hampshire to be near her daughter and grandchildren.
She majored in sociology/psychology at Bowling Green University and earned her master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago. She met her husband, Eric Mengert, at the Young Adult Group of First Unitarian Church of Chicago. They later became active members of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Unity Temple Unitarian-Universalist congregation in Oak Park.
She pursued a career in social services, beginning as the clinic coordinator at Planned Parenthood, then became the senior citizen coordinator at Oak Park Township. Later, she was a supervisor at the Cook County Area Agency on Aging, and completed her working years with the Federal Administration on Aging. She was passionate about social service and social justice in her professional, personal, and religious life.
A dedicated member of the Social Justice Committee of First Unitarian Universalist Society of Exeter, she attended protests, marches, and vigils. She was a quiet but powerful and compassionate woman, mother, grandmother, activist, and friend. Her wit often caught people off guard. She always enjoyed a good book, word games, and putting experiences down on paper.
Marion is predeceased by her parents, William J. Hampton and Marion L. Parsons, her brother Donald B. Hampton, and her husband Eric J. Mengert. She is survived by her daughter, Vandy (Mengert) Leigh and her children, Tadhg and Allura Duffy; her sons, William E. Mengert and Kenn Mengert; her sister-in-law, Sylvia Hampton; and a niece and two nephews.
The family appreciates memorial donations to the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Exeter (exeteruu.org) or the American Civil Liberties Union (aclu.org)
A Celebration of Life will be held at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Exeter, Exeter, NH on March 30, 2024, at 10 a.m.