Marcie McMurrer, founding editor of the original Plastics Compounding magazine, has died of cancer.
McMurrer, whose real name was Mary, kept her age a secret. She also was founding editor of the Plastics Compounding Redbook, established in 1981.
Pete Sullivan, who worked as a publisher with McMurrer, said she was the only person he knew who went back to school to do her job better. McMurrer received a master's degree in polymer chemistry from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. She lived in Hawley until her death earlier this month.
In 1996, McMurrer was named an honored service member of the Brookfield, Conn.-based Society of Plastics Engineers. She was instrumental in the founding of SPE's Polymer Modifiers & Additives Division, and she served as division chairwoman. She had been an SPE member since 1978, and was especially active with the Lehigh Valley section.
``She was sharp, she knew the industry, she knew what was going on and was quite dedicated not only with work, but also with her extracurricular activities,'' said Jim Toner, SPE's promotion and customer relations director.