Obituary for Marcia Lou Ayres
Marcia Lou (Witzel) Ayres, 77, beloved wife of Thomas Dunmore Ayres, died Thursday, January 4, 2024, in Simsbury, CT. She was born March 13, 1946, in Cleveland, Ohio, daughter of Dr. Eugene John and May Belle (Reisinger) Witzel. Marcia is survived by her husband, Tom, and three children: Catherine Haven Wescott, Susan Ayres (Mark) Kolbusz and John Cannon Ayres; by three grandsons: Trevor Curtis Kolbusz, Tyler Gregory Kolbusz and Alexander Dunmore Wescott; by her sister, Beverly Witzel (Norman) Bugay; and nieces Amy Rusinow (Rod) Elliott and Beth Rusinow (Gregory) Hart.
Marcia graduated from John Marshall High School (Cleveland, Ohio) in 1964 and Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) in 1968 where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and was a member of Chi Omega sorority. She received a Master of Science degree from Central Connecticut State University in 1985. She was a physics teacher at Rocky Hill High School, CT. Marcia was a member of the Simsbury United Methodist Church, American Association of University Women, and United States Power Squadrons. Marcia was an avid sailor, having learned the basics at Cleveland Yachting Club in her youth. She eventually progressed to the open seas when she, Tom and their children relocated to Simsbury, Connecticut. From the Great Lakes to the New England Coast, she loved the exhilaration of the wind in the sails and the adventure of visiting new places - including their ice crem shops - with her husband and family. Favorite ports of call included Watch Hill, Block Island, & Newport, RI; Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket, MA; Portsmouth, NH; and Boothbay, ME. Her other hobbies included cross stitching, reading, gardening, and home improvements. Marcia and Tom had many adored cocker & springer spaniels over the years. After retirement from teaching, she and Tom enjoyed wintering at their condominium at Sand Dollar Shores in Jensen Beach, Florida. Funeral services will be held in June in Canton, CT, at a date and time to be announced. Interment will follow at the Doe Burial Plot, Rollinsford, NH.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Curing Retinal Blindness Foundation at for online tributes.
Marcia graduated from John Marshall High School (Cleveland, Ohio) in 1964 and Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) in 1968 where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and was a member of Chi Omega sorority. She received a Master of Science degree from Central Connecticut State University in 1985. She was a physics teacher at Rocky Hill High School, CT. Marcia was a member of the Simsbury United Methodist Church, American Association of University Women, and United States Power Squadrons. Marcia was an avid sailor, having learned the basics at Cleveland Yachting Club in her youth. She eventually progressed to the open seas when she, Tom and their children relocated to Simsbury, Connecticut. From the Great Lakes to the New England Coast, she loved the exhilaration of the wind in the sails and the adventure of visiting new places - including their ice crem shops - with her husband and family. Favorite ports of call included Watch Hill, Block Island, & Newport, RI; Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket, MA; Portsmouth, NH; and Boothbay, ME. Her other hobbies included cross stitching, reading, gardening, and home improvements. Marcia and Tom had many adored cocker & springer spaniels over the years. After retirement from teaching, she and Tom enjoyed wintering at their condominium at Sand Dollar Shores in Jensen Beach, Florida. Funeral services will be held in June in Canton, CT, at a date and time to be announced. Interment will follow at the Doe Burial Plot, Rollinsford, NH.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Curing Retinal Blindness Foundation at