Molly D. Roth

MOLLY DULCINEA ROTH, 53, died Wednesday evening, March 9, 2016, in Philadelphia PA. Molly, a mother, wife, anthropologist, and writer, had abundant intellectual, artistic, and philo-sophical interests, including languages, literature, theatre, film, music, and community development. She approached every topic with curiosity and contributed vast warmth, humor and intelligence to every endeavor.
Molly, the daughter of Martin and Martha Roth, was born September 25, 1962 in Chicago and grew up in Minneapolis MN. Molly received a BA in history from Swarthmore College and a PhD in anthropology from the Univ. of Pennsylvania. She published her dissertation on the Jeli singers of Mali as Ma Parole S’achete: Money, Identity and Meaning in Malian Jeliya (2008). She served in many capacities over the course of a wide-ranging career in non-profits including Interim Executive Director of OIC International, founding executive director of Global Philadelphia Association, Director of Development of the Library Company of Philadelphia, and most recently Director of Development of the American Philosophical Society.
She is survived by her parents, her husband, Michael W. Hesson, Assistant Professor of Linguistic Anthropology at Temple University; her wonder-ful daughters, Elinor, 16, and Claudia, 10; as well as her sister, Jennifer Roth; her brother, David Roth, and nieces and nephews Grey Goodermote, Henry and Faye Monaghan, and Ramona and Leo Roth. Molly is also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, all of whose lives she touched and enriched. A Memorial Service is planned for May. Donations in Molly’s memory may be made to American Philosophical Society or to Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation.

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