Obituary: Marcia Ann Nye

Marcia Ann Nye, 78, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on July 21, 2026, at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, Alaska.  

Marcia had a gift for making everyone around her feel seen, welcomed, and deeply loved. She was an artist, educator, mother, wife, sister, and friend who left a beautiful legacy of love.

Marcia Ann Nye

Born July 19, 1948, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Nora Marcia McLaren and Walter Roy Nye, Marcia grew up with an adventurous spirit. In 1968, she fell in love with Alaska. While life took her to many far-away places over the years, her heart and her home always remained Alaska. 

Marcia brought beauty to everything in her life. She lived her passions and touched many lives through her dedication to education, empowerment, and self-expression. She was an adult educator across the state, an elected official, and advocate for those in need.

Marcia made every day an adventure. She had a magical ability to take challenges and turn them into opportunities. Whether it was raising small children in a dry log cabin in Fairbanks or creating a home for all in the white house on top of Main Street, Marcia did it with a laugh and smile. 

She will be warmly remembered by many for her daily afternoon tea gatherings. Her door was always open, and it was never a surprise to find people gathered in the kitchen around a pot of tea and homemade shortbread. 

Though her final years were complicated by dementia, her caring nature, quick wit, and grace never faded. 

Marcia was preceded in death by her brother Mark Nye and sister Elisabeth Nye and is survived by her husband Mark Badger; her son Justin Freer, and his family Jessica, Olivia and Emma; her daughter Ashley Badger Bahney and her family Ben, Brock and Adair; her daughter Birch (Badger) Pennycook and her family Will, Liam, and Poppy; and her daughter Claire (Badger) Onyechi and her family Kingsley, Kingsley (Jr.), Artemis and Solomon. 

To honor Marcia's lifelong love of creativity, we encourage you to support the arts in whatever way is meaningful to you. 

A celebration of Marcia’s life will be held on Saturday, November 28th at 2:00 pm at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Juneau.