Marilyn's Awards

 My mother was a dedicated volunteer, basically full time for years. She was also, for a time, a registered New York State lobbyist, jetting from Long Island to Albany regularly. (Actually, probably in a prop plane back in those days.) She had an office where she kept her files and wrote her testimonies. Lining the walls of the office were plaques and certificates and proclamations. It's a lot cheaper to recognize good hard work with a plaque or paper than to pay an actual salary, so many volunteers have similar things. 

When Marilyn moved from Long Island to Maryland into an apartment near her grandchildren, I helped her clear out the forty years of clutter from her house. I was an aficionado of home improvement shows, and had learned from them decluttering techniques. I suggested she not plan to hang all of the stuff back up, but instead we would take good pictures of it, and use that as the basis for memories.

Here are some of the pictures.

 

1972 - Planned Parenthood
(Picture is Margaret Sanger, not Marilyn)

 

1978 - Woman of the Year
Spanish Society of Suffolk

1982 - County Proclamation
First of three
Red Cross

1982 - Nassau-Suffolk Health Systems Agency

 

1988
Second of Three County Proclamations
For multiple volunteer roles with:
Community Health Advisory Board;
American Lung Association of Nassau-Suffolk;
South Brookhaven Health Council;
Suffolk County Pre-Natal Coalition;
Traffic and Safety Board

 

1988
Hard to read but:
Board of Directors;
New York State Council on Alcoholism

 

1989
American Lung Association of NY State

 

1991
Riverhead Health Center Community Advisory Board

1993
Nassau-Suffolk Health Systems Agency
Leadership Award

 

1995
American Lung Association

1996
Suffolk County Perinatal Coalition

1998
Women Pioneers in Suffolk County Health Care

 

1998
Last of the Proclamations
Recognition for those who founded the
local health centers

 

 

2000
Original resolution re-naming the
South Brookhaven Health Center after Marilyn

 

2003
Brookhaven Memorial Hospital
Board of Directors Emeritus

 

 

 

2006
Farewell Message
Health Centers

Sixteen Candle(sticks)

 Following on the previous post, here are the candlesticks. I like their shape, but I have too many. I just don't use candles very often, and that is not likely to change. If you are interested in any for yourself or for gifting, let me know. Some of these were my mother's, some I acquired. The holes into which you stick candles are not uniformly sized. I've learned "museum clay" works to hold candles relatively upright. I think my mother used Playdoh. Anything I don't keep or give to a friend will go to an upscale thrift shop in Bethesda.

The set

 

Contemporary, gift
Cherry wood, glass and aluminum

Ikea, not in good shape, but I get a kick seeing how they
derive from the blue danish ones below.

Pewter, possibly old? Possibly Danish?

Tallish, skinny brass. Maybe from India?

Substantial, heavy brass

Danish modern
They don't match exactly, were bought at different times

Pewter, old

 

Ikea, shown for completeness

Les Objects Decoratifs

I've gotten to the final legs of disposing of stuff my mother collected. Below are some decorative and somewhat useful objects made of metal. Most are available to give away if you want them sometime soon (early 2025). I'm contemplating keeping, for now, one of the big brass platters. The rest I really don't want, even if I kind of like them. Anything not given away to a friend will be donated to an upscale thrift store in Bethesda.

The whole enchilada
Candlesticks in separate post

 

Miscellaneous pewter dishes
Possibly old (nineteenth century)

Pewter serving dishes
Possibly old, possibly modern

Embossed vases. Brass.
Mid-Eastern?

Brass (bronze?) Chinese vases, probably early 20th century
Google suggests made for the tourist/missionary trade
Gift to my grandfather during the depression in Chicago
Very heavy and substantial

Dented brass pitcher.
My mother used as cachepot for a plant in our living room.

Cigarette case, enameled with Egyptian motif
Note - too small for modern cigarettes
Could hold business cards? Boiled sweets? Spliff?

Light brass object - incense burner, maybe?

Hatchet handle ??!?
Brass. Heavy. Other side plain.

Brass platter. Possibly gift from Egyptian scientist friend.

Brass platter, embossed.
Probably gift from Egyptian scientist friend.

Possibly the crown jewel of the collection.
A mid-century Danish modern 3-piece coffee service.
Pewter, probably bought in Denmark.
It's really attractive and in good shape,
but a coffee service? Who ever uses one?
Not me!