Constance Martha Brooks Malm died peacefully of natural causes on October 30, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah, surrounded by her daughters. She was 95.

She was born Sept. 11, 1925 to Melissa DeGolyer Morris and George Morris Brooks in Chicago, Ill. She and her sister Georgiana were raised in the suburb of La Grange, Ill. She and her future husband, James R. (Jim) Malm, lived on the same street and graduated together from Cossett Grammar School. She graduated high school in 1943 from the Hockaday School in Dallas, Tex. and from Northwestern University in 1947.

After college she reconnected with Jim at the Northwestern graduation of each of their siblings. They married in LaGrange on July 8, 1950. Their honeymoon to West Chop launched their own happy 69 years of marriage and their shared love of Martha’s Vineyard.

Jim’s career as a thoracic surgeon and appointment as head of cardiothoracic surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York city brought the couple to Westchester county. They settled in Irvington where they raised their four daughters. They later moved to Scarborough.

Connie’s ready laugh, generous spirit and organizational skills made her not only a devoted wife and mother but a loyal friend to many and an active member of her community. She served on many boards including the Irvington Garden Club, the Thursday Club, the national board of the Garden Club of America, and Lyndhurst — a National Trust historic site. She was a senior warden at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church.

She was an ardent advocate for preserving our nation’s resources. She enjoyed gardening, skiing with family, riding her horse Addy in Pocantico Hills and spending family summers on Martha’s Vineyard.

In 1991 she and her husband retired to Pilot Hill Farm where they immersed themselves in the natural wonders of the Island and its community. A supreme hostess, she loved sharing this time with family and friends. She was active with the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club and Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation. She served on the board of Polly Hill Arboretum and Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, including a three-year term as its president. She and her husband were members of Grace Church of Vineyard Haven.

In 2003 she and her husband moved to Amelia Island Fla., where she lived until he died in 2019. She then moved to Salt Lake City, close to her daughter Karen.

She is survived by her daughters, Betsy Malm Holdsworth, Melissa Malm, Karen Malm and Sarah Malm; six grandchildren; and four great- grandchildren.

The family will gather during the last week of July to celebrate the lives of both Connie and Jim.

Memorial donations can be made to Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard at hospiceofmv.org.