Marion Lang was a lifelong caregiver: first as a nurse, then as a mother and wife, then returning to nursing after her children were grown, and finally for her beloved grandchildren. Always a cheerful presence, she loved a good story, a hearty laugh, and sharing her delicious home-made pumpkin bread.

A longtime resident of West Hartford, as well as Point Judith, R.I., she died March 4, 2023, after a brief illness, at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford. She was born January 19, 1936, in the same hospital, to Philip M. and Katherine (Shea) Carpenter.

She grew up in Wethersfield and attended Mount St. Joseph Academy before graduating in 1958 with a degree in nursing from St. Joseph College in West Hartford. She worked as a registered nurse at several area hospitals and health care facilities, most recently at the Brookview Nursing Home, now known as the West Hartford Health & Rehabilitation Center.

Not long after graduating from nursing school, she attended a dance for Catholic college graduates. Also there was young Ralph Lang, whose friend Dick Carney urged him to ask her for a dance. They were married in 1960, and celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary before Ralph’s death in 2017.

After raising their children, Marion and Ralph fulfilled a lifelong aspiration to travel, and enjoyed many trips with friends. Among their destinations were Hawaii, Alaska, Florida, and Europe.

By far her favorite place to visit, however, was a family cottage in Point Judith, Rhode Island, which she enjoyed as a little girl playing with her brothers, and as a grandmother playing with her grandchildren. Built by her own grandparents in 1939, it was the scene of countless family meals and lively happy hours on the lawn, and she took pride in the fact that it has remained a family gathering place for all these years.

A devout Catholic, she was a communicant of St. Mark the Evangelist Church, where she served as a Eucharistic Minister and sewed baptismal garments.

She enjoyed cooking, especially baking, much to the delight of anyone lucky enough to receive one of her delicious treats.

She made an effort to stay in contact with friends from high school and college, dining with them regularly and helping organize her college class reunions.

She was also happy to share her expertise as a nurse, and was a go-to advisor for family, friends, and neighbors whose myriad ailments and medical questions she always found time to answer in a reassuring, comforting manner.

She is survived by her sons, David (Jacinta) of Merrimack, N.H.; Gregory (Jean) of Milton, Mass.; grandchildren Michael, Catherine, Abigail, and Maureen; sister-in-law Anne Carpenter; and several nieces and nephews, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ralph, her parents, brothers Richard and Philip, and sister-in-law Mary Jane Carpenter.

Calling hours will be 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, March 12, at Sheehan-Hilborn-Breen Funeral Home, 1084 New Britain Ave., West Hartford.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday, March 13, at 10 a.m. at St. Mark the Evangelist Church, 467 Quaker Lane South, West Hartford. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery in West Hartford.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Marion's name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Online condolences may be made at www.SheehanHilbornBreen.com