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Dr. Marie Manning Selvaggio, professor emeritus and former chair of the Department of Anthropology at Southern Connecticut State University, passed away on Feb. 13 after a short illness. She was 74 years old. Marie was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, to the late Peter and Frances (Rouleau) Manning. In 1964, she married the late Joseph J. Selvaggio, Sr., and together they raised their three children, Joseph J. Selvaggio, Jr., (wife Katherine) of Westbrook, Michael A. Selvaggio of Branford, and Laura C. Selvaggio-Burban (husband Mitch) of Branford.

Marie joined the faculty at Southern Connecticut State University in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in 1993. In addition to teaching courses in anthropology and archaeology, she was a co-director of Southern Connecticut State University’s Tanzania Field School in Anthropology. Her research was published in many academic journals, including Nature, Current Anthropology, The Journal of Human Evolution, and Archaeological Science. She also worked on archaeological sites in the United States and in Latin America.

Marie cherished spending time with her family and she adored her grandchildren: Cassandra, Madison, Ezra, and Jacob. She loved her border collie “Fly.” She enjoyed tag sales and antique shows and was a huge fan of the animal rescue programs and the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet.

In addition to her children and grandchildren, Marie is survived by her sister Elizabeth Spinelli of Tamarac, Florida; her niece Kimberly Pompeo of New Jersey; and grand-nephews Gregory and William Pompeo of New Jersey.

Marie’s fearless joy taught us to explore the world and to discover the beauty of life—past and present—whether it was on an archeological site in Tanzania, researching her family ancestry, finding a treasure in an antique shop with her late husband, or the simple act of rescuing an animal in need of a home.

A memorial service was held Feb. 18 at St. Mary’s Church, 731 Main St., Branford.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter, 749 E. Main St., Branford, CT 06405, or Douglass College at Rutgers (douglass.rutgers.edu/give and “Advancing Women in STEM at Douglass,” or donate by mail at 125 George St., College Hall, 3rd Fl., New Brunswick, NJ 08901).