Marjorie E. Tauer

Marjorie Elizabeth (Bullock) Tauer passed away peacefully on January 3, 2026, at the age of 88, at the Linda Manor Assisted Living Facility in Leeds. She was born on January 30, 1937, in Granville, Michigan, to Carlos DeWitt and Donna Swift Bullock.

Marjorie was an accomplished watercolor artist and educator. She loved spending time with family and friends, music, art, dancing, and birding—always searching for beauty in the world. She was happiest when surrounded by family and immersed in nature.

As a child, Marjorie lived throughout the Midwest. She graduated from Missouri State Teachers College with a degree in early childhood education and then moved to California for her first position as a kindergarten teacher. There she met and married John Arledge Tauer. John was on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, and following their marriage they were transferred to Massachusetts, where they made their first home in Granby and welcomed their three children.

After John’s retirement from the U.S. Air Force, the family lived in Europe for three years before returning to Amherst, Massachusetts. In Amherst, Marjorie ran the Amherst Nursery School and Kindergarten for many years. During this time, she returned to school and earned both a Master’s degree and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Education. She continued her career in the public school system in Southampton, Massachusetts, until her retirement. Marj was a gifted educator who shared her deep love of reading and literature with countless students over the years.

Marjorie spent the last 25 years of her life with her husband, Gene Sielski, who predeceased her last spring. Together they made their home at the Lathrop Community in Easthampton, where Marj formed many close friendships and was deeply involved in the arts community. She was especially proud of her long service as chair of the Lathrop Art Committee. She was a member of the Deerfield Valley Art Association, the Springfield Art League and painted with the Easthampton Art Appreciation Guild and the Old Deerfield Painting Group. She was also active in the greater Easthampton art community and taught watercolor painting to many students over the years.

Her Congregational faith was central to her life, and she was an active member of both South Amherst Congregational Church and Edwards Church in Northampton.

Marjorie described her feelings about her art this way: “I feel that painting is taking a leap into the unknown, building from what you do know about technique, taking risks and trying to stretch yourself in each artistic effort. It requires a beginner’s mind, a good deal of courage, and the love of watercolor… It is not talent that takes us on this journey, but perseverance, desire, and effort.” The unconditional love she shared throughout her life, along with her beautiful artwork, is her enduring legacy.

Marjorie is survived by her three children: Laurie Lennon and her husband Tom, Kate Marciano, and Jonathan Tauer, as well as his former wife, Sarah Burnham. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Andrew, Hannah, and Sean Lennon; Nina Marciano; Sophie and her husband Nate Moriarty; Beatrice and Michael Tauer. She is further survived by her sister, Susan Bullock Sylvester; her brothers, Robert and Charles Bullock; and many extended family members and friends.

Marjorie’s family is especially grateful for the compassionate care she received in the later years of her life at the Lathrop Community, Linda Manor Assisted Living, at Cooley Dickinson Hospital and Cooley Dickinson Hospice.

A celebration of life will be held in the spring. Details will be available through the Ahearn Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations in Marjorie’s name may be made to the Northampton Survival Center or the Western Massachusetts Food Bank.