Susan Marcy Leland, of Lexington, Massachusetts, died on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, of
complications from a stroke.
Susan was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on December 25, 1931 to George Herbert Marcy
and Gertrude Butler Marcy. She grew up in the Waban neighborhood of Newton, Massachusetts,
attending the Angier Elementary School and Dana Hall School. She studied Government at
Smith College and was a proud member of the Smith Class of 1953.
Susan was a true global citizen, living and traveling all over the world and approaching new
places and people with grace and warmth. Her six months living in Buenos Aires, Argentina in
her early 20s—a city and country that forever became part of her heart—were influential in
shaping her love of new cultures. Susan was always game for an adventure, whether rafting
along the Colorado River, riding a camel in Egypt, or taking flying lessons.
From 1975 to 1980, Susan served as Executive Assistant to Professor Carroll L. Wilson of the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was the behind-the-scenes force who coordinated a
study group from 14 countries, which developed the first global view of future world oil supply
and demand. In the wake of the 1973-1974 global oil crisis, this study group was more than an
academic exercise—it was one of the first efforts to create international dialogue and cultural
exchange in addressing a global problem.
Having completed this project, Susan took a year off to go to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where she
specialized in desserts, particularly cake with buttercream frosting and chocolate mousse—a skill
that delighted friends wherever she went.
Upon her return to Cambridge, Susan continued working with Professor Wilson on his other
international projects, including the World Coal Study and research on rising temperatures and
alternative energy sources. These projects laid the early groundwork for climate change and
sustainability research and policy.
Susan later served as executive assistant to Dr. Daniel Yergin at Cambridge Energy Research
Associates (CERA), one of the largest and most influential international energy advisory firms.
Ultimately, Susan became Secretary to the Board of CERA and served in that role until her
retirement in 2004.
From childhood, Susan had a great love of Maine. She grew up spending summers at Fortunes
Rocks, Biddeford Pool, and held this long sand beach and the families there in her heart all her
life. On one recent visit, she sat listening quite long to the sea, saying she was "listening to the
symphony." Later in life, she spent her summers in Port Clyde. She loved a sail around the
island, a good walk on the beach with a friend. She had an unusual gift, a deeply empathetic,
listening mind that understood the heart of a shared moment and a treasured place.
Susan devoted herself to her mother's care during her lifetime, and she cared deeply for her
nephew, David Walker Lee, III, who predeceased her. She was dedicated to her godchildren:
Lyn Littlefield Hoopes, of Brooksville, Maine; Katrina Stanislaw, of Bozeman, Montana;
Samantha Cedrone, of Chicago, Illinois; and David A. Gregory, Jr., of Intervale, New
Hampshire.
Susan had a voracious curiosity and was an active, lifelong learner with a particular interest in
art, history, and politics. She was an opera enthusiast, and for some years traveled to New York
to take in Wagner's Ring cycle, earning the moniker of "ring nut" for having participated in the
entire multi-day opera. Committed to improving the world, Susan helped initiate the Avon Hill
Conservation District, which worked to preserve open space in Cambridge; and she was a
generous supporter of many charitable causes, especially promoting educational opportunities in
underserved communities.
Deeply loyal and constant, Susan knew how to be a friend, notes a fellow resident at
Brookhaven, where Susan spent her final years. Susan had many circles of friends, spanning
generations and the varied chapters of her life. She took pride in her friends' endeavors and
successes; most importantly, she took true pleasure in their company. For her many dazzling
accomplishments, Susan was adored for her intellect, her warmth, her quiet sense of humor, and
her hearty laugh. Susan always turned the conversation away from herself and toward others,
possessing the rare and beautiful quality of making each person she spoke to feel like the most
important person in the room.
Modeled after Winston Churchill's words, Susan's motto was "Never, never, never give up."
Determined and independent of spirit to the finish, Susan did not follow the recipe.
Interment will be private.