In memory and appreciation of Margery Elfin, a witty, dog-loving neighbor and friend

by Lee Armfield Cannon

On February 9, Margery Elfin died in hospice care, leaving two children, four grandchildren, and friends and neighbors who miss her dearly.

Margery Elfin in 2016

Marge was an intellectual, keen-eyed and prescient. She was a well-loved professor at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. She was a woman of principle, ahead of her time, and was an outspoken opponent of sexism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of discrimination.

Friends and neighbors in Forest Hills remember her best as a warm, witty friend and a dog lover.

A longtime contributor to Forest Hills Connection, Marge appreciated dogs’ unique personalities, and wrote many of her articles in the voice of her dog Emmy, who commented on the changing seasons and the canine life of the neighborhood.

“Dog connections were a big part of her life. We gave voice to that with Emmy’s posts,” Marlene Berlin, Forest Hills Connection’s editor-in-chief, said. “I did not exactly understand this until her daughter came to my house [after the funeral] with a thank you note. She asked if I had a dog. I told her no. Her response was, ‘You must be very special for my Mom to have allowed you into her life.'”

“Even though I am not a dog lover, I loved the Emmy column and found it a great foil for Marge’s sharp wit,” she said. “I will miss her as a neighbor, writer and my friend.”

Mel and Margery Elfin, with Emmy in 2013

When we saw Marge out and about in the neighborhood, it was almost always at the loop-end of a leash. Through the years, Marge’s family always included a furry friend: first Chequers, then Taffy, Molly, Grover and finally, Emmy.

Many of the neighbors who knew Marge best were fellow dog lovers who met Marge, her husband Mel, children Dana and David, and grandchildren Julie, Amy, Jonathan, and Rebecca, at dog parks or on walks in the area.

“While our dogs played and ‘protected’ the neighborhood, our close group of dog park friends chatted about our lives and the changing world around us. Our ‘dog pack’ evolved over the years as families moved, dogs died, and each of our lives became busier,” Laurel Christian said. “Through it all, Margery and I continued to build our friendship. We bonded around our love of family and the beach, as well as dogs.”

“In one of our final conversations, about a month before her death, Margery told me that she really appreciated my directness and advice over the years … even those times she summarily dismissed me and did the opposite. We had a good laugh together. I feel the void she has left both in our neighborhood and personally in my life.”

The youngest of Betty and David Lesser’s five daughters in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Marge grew up loving reading, playing piano, visiting the beach, and making friends with anyone and everyone. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in French and political science at Wellesley College, her Master of Arts at Columbia University’s New School for Social Research, and her Ph.D. in public law and government, also at Columbia.

In the 1950s and early 60s, Marge lived in New York City with her new husband, the journalist Mel Elfin. She, too, worked as a reporter. Then, after starting a family and moving to DC, she began a 21-year career as a professor of political science at Hood College, where she eventually chaired the Department of History and Political Science. She retired in 1998. Hood honored Marge with its first Distinguished Faculty Award in 2024.

Between 1996 and 2016, Marge wrote three books. The first, “The Cost of Being Female,” was co-written with economist Sue Headlee. It documents how discrimination penalizes women worldwide in their economic, political, social, and educational lives, and even in their health.

The second book was a history of the Forest Hills neighborhood, part of the Images of America series and co-written with Paul K. Williams and the Forest Hills Neighborhood Alliance.

The third was “A Nation on Trial: France and the Legacy of the Dreyfus Affair.”

Here’s Margery Elfin in her rented “getaway car” in 2022, from another article that showcased her humor and charm.

Marge was also an insightful reader of her neighbors’ books.

“Marge was a wonderful sounding board for me,” Scott Seligman, an author and historian, said. “She read a number of drafts of my books and always offered penetrating insights and helpful suggestions. And I enjoyed her writing as well. She was just a delightful human being who will be widely missed in Forest Hills.”

Seligman was another “dog pack” member.

“I met Marge and Mel Elfin at the ‘dog park’ – really the baseball diamond next to the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Chesapeake Street – about 20 years and two dogs ago,” Seligman said. “We became friends and my pooches and I visited the Elfins often.”

I met Marge while she was looking for a designer for her third book, “A Nation on Trial.”

In the book, Marge recounted the scandal of a Jewish officer in the French Army, Alfred Dreyfus, who was accused of treason in 1894 for allegedly selling French military secrets to Germany. Based on falsified evidence and testimonies, he was jailed for five years. Émile Zola, who was already a literary celebrity in France at the time, penned his famous essay, “J’Accuse,” in protest of Dreyfus’ unjust and anti-Semitic treatment.

Marge shared with Zola a fierce indignation about injustice and it showed in her writing and conversation. She was determined to hold the press accountable to the truth and cause of justice. Her passion inspired me.

Marge and I developed a close working relationship, then a friendship. I designed the cover and interior of her book and we published it together. I moved away from DC, came back for visits, stayed in Marge’s guest room, and ate goodies from the local bakery with her at the breakfast table.

It was my great good luck to stumble into Marge’s life over a dozen years ago, just as it was her other Forest Hills neighbors’ great good luck to know her, whether for one year or fifty.

Neighbors who would like to honor Marge are encouraged to make a donation in her memory to Oldies But Goodies Cocker Rescue, or visit the Hood College giving page and designate a donation to the Elfin-Kawecki Scholarship fund.