Marie Ashe

Marie Ashe, 82, died on June 18, 2025.  Marie was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, educator, advocate, writer, poet, quilter, knitter, weaver, and champion of lost souls. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts on May 23, 1943 to Emmett Ashe and Anna Cahill Ashe, she was the kid sister to her brothers, Emmett and Everett. She grew up in Cherry Valley, a village of Leicester, Massachusetts. Fascinated by knowledge, language, and literature from an early age, she was her high school class president and valedictorian.

Marie was a loving wife and the proud mother of five children and two grandchildren, in whom she exulted. She is survived by her husband of forty-seven years, Tim Sindelar; her daughter, Anna Mollow and her wife, Jane Herman; her son David Mollow and his wife, Kathleen Mollow; her son Tony Sindelar and his partner, Andria Schwortz; her son Michael Sindelar and his partner, Lauren Argo; her son Devin Ashe; and her granddaughters, Hannah Mollow and Helen Mollow.

Marie graduated from Clark University with a degree in philosophy. In the 1960s, she lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she worked as a secretary and a research assistant. In 1967, she married Benjamin Mollow, her first husband, with whom she had her first two children, Anna and David. In addition to mothering her children, she earned an MA in child studies from Tufts University; pursued embroidery, weaving, and other crafts; and worked as an editor.  Marie’s first marriage ended in divorce, and in 1977 she met Tim Sindelar, to whom she remained married until the time of her death. She and Tim had three children, Tony, Michael, and Devin.

While raising a family, Marie attended law school, graduating from the University of Nebraska College of Law. Following graduation from law school, Marie worked as a Public Defender at the Lancaster County Public Defender Office in Lincoln, Nebraska and then represented people with disabilities at the Nebraska Advocacy Services. In 1983, Marie began a long career in legal education, serving as the Director of Clinical Programs and as Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska College of Law, as Associate Professor at the West Virginia University of College of Law, and as Visiting Professor at Boston University. She was then a Professor of Law at Suffolk University Law School for twenty years, where she taught constitutional law and criminal law.

Marie was the author of more than a dozen major articles in law reviews and journals throughout the world, with a focus on expanding the rights of women and on religious freedom. Her writings explore the intersections of law, literature, and philosophy.

Marie was deeply committed to social justice. In the 1960s, she traveled to the South to participate in voter registration drives. She was a lifelong feminist, supporter of LGBTQ equality, and advocate for separation of church and state.

An enthusiastic reader, Marie always had a book by her side. She was extremely well read in literature, philosophy, politics, and poetry. She could recite long passages of her favorite poems by heart, and she often did so as she went about her daily tasks.

Marie was extraordinarily generous. She would drop everything to help friends, family members, and even acquaintances, whether sitting by a sick person’s bed for hours or hanging curtains in someone’s new apartment. She was a compassionate source of support and centeredness for countless people who gravitated toward her soothing voice and calming energy.

Marie and Tim lived in Newton, Massachusetts for thirty years.  Marie was a talented craftsperson, enjoying knitting, quilting, and weaving. She was also an avid gardener who started each day watering her plants. During her retirement, she was an active participant in a women’s writing group. She continued to write until the day of her death.

She is predeceased by her parents and by her two brothers, Everett and Emmett Ashe

A memorial service will be held at First Unitarian Universalist Society, 1326 Washington St, Newton MA , on Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 1PM.

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