Maura Zorina Marks, Ph.D., Au.D. (née Greenberg), a native New Yorker and longtime resident of Medfield, MA, passed away peacefully after battling residual illnesses from esophageal cancer on January 2nd, 2024. She was 72 years old. Maura was the loving daughter of the late Ruth and Charles Greenberg, and the younger sister of Felicia Silensky. She is survived by her twin sister Michele Sherwin of Franklin, MA, her eldest son Clifford Marks of Norton, MA, her youngest son Russell Marks of Providence, RI, as well as several nieces, nephews, and their extended families.
After earning her bachelor’s degree from Queens College in 1973, she went on to receive her Ph.D. in Communication Disorders from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1981. At the start of her career, she worked in hospitals and other settings with older adults, before establishing a 25-year career as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) at West Roxbury High School. Maura was a dedicated SLP with over four decades of experience that included delivery of clinical services, research, supervision, and teaching graduate courses at Northeastern University, the University of Rhode Island, Bridgewater State University, and UMass Amherst. In August of 2000, Maura founded and served as the Director of Speech-Language and Hearing Associates of Greater Boston, a private practice with locations in Medfield and Plainville, serving Boston, Metro West, and Southeastern Massachusetts. Her passion for audiology would lead her to complete a second doctoral degree in Audiology (Au.D.) in 2008. Maura took great pride in her business, and she affected meaningful change in the lives of many for 24 years as both a clinician and a director.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Maura was a loving and devoted mother of Bichon Frisés—first to Max, and then to Brady and Bruschi—the namesakes of New England Patriots, Tom Brady and Teddy Bruschi, of whom she was a diehard fan. (She also had two sons, but let’s get back to her dogs…) She was a dog-grandparent to Clifford’s dogs, Louie, Buddy, Cosmo, and the late but beloved Opie (aka Woodle). Maura could often be overheard conversing with her dogs, cooking for them, and, when the moment struck, she would hold them in her arms and dance with them. (“Smooth” by Rob Thomas and Carlos Santana usually set this in motion.) Until her death, the dogs remained loyal and excited at any chance they had to spend time with her.
Maura’s love for her dogs was only matched by her love for her family. When not dancing with canines, she could sometimes be seen spontaneously dancing with her twin sister, Michele, with whom she shared a deep bond—the likes of which are understood only by twins. With Clifford, their shared passion for dogs and animal rescue provided them with a source of meaning, purpose, and connection. Maura was also an avid reader and history buff. She was passionate about American history and jumped at the opportunity to visit Emily Dickinson’s homestead in Amherst whenever it opened its doors. Maura was particularly interested in the history of the pioneers’ settlement of the Great Plains and despite Russell’s own grumblings about having to move to the Midwest, she was elated when he attended graduate school in South Dakota. The two made several memorable summer trips to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Estate in Iowa, the Badlands, the filming site of the movie “Field of Dreams,” and Mount Rushmore. Her travels also took her to Greece and Israel and, on one very unforgettable occasion, a rerouted cruise from the Bahamas to Canada. Though we are devastated by her passing, we find some comfort in one of her favorite Paul Simon lyrics: “But it’s alright, it’s alright…for we lived so well, so long.” She lived a full life, and we love her very much.
Maura’s funeral is being held at Schlossberg Family’s Chapel on the Hill located at 824 Washington St., Canton, MA on Wednesday, January 10th, 2023 at 10:00 AM, followed by interment at Framingham/Natick Jewish Cemetery in Natick.
Shiva will begin at Maura’s residence in Medfield immediately following the burial.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Maura’s memory may be sent to the ASPCA, the Esophageal Cancer Action Network, and the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association.
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