ALTAMONT — Marijo Dougherty was a curator — a caretaker of art and of historic artifacts that she shared with others in ways that taught people about themselves. She was also a caretaker of people, caring for them personally and connecting them to each other in ways that moved projects forward.

Two weeks after being honored for her outstanding service to the village of Altamont, Ms. Dougherty succumbed to a long illness. She died on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018.

“She left this world so much better than when she came into it, having shared her passion for the arts, culture, and community,” her family wrote in a tribute.

Ms. Dougherty spent the last 14 years of her life in Altamont and, in that time, helped the village understand itself and its history. She organized the rich collection of artifacts left to the village by the late Roger Keenholts, longtime Altamont historian. And, from those collections, she created a series of stunning exhibitions, bringing to light little-known riches of the village’s past — from its involvement in the Civil War to its creative inventors.

She inspired Keith Lee to write a book, informed by pictures, of Altamont’s history, and she chaired the committee that brought the Museum in the Streets to Altamont. In her memory, the Altamont Free Library, which honored her at its gala last month, is starting a series of podcasts to record oral histories of the village. Hers was the first interview.

“She had a great insight into humanity,” said James Gaughan, Altamont’s former mayor. “That’s why her exhibits were so successful … She connected to a larger, more meaningful world.”

Mr. Gaughan recalled meeting Ms. Dougherty at the Hungerford Market bagel shop in 2004 when he was first running for mayor. “She was wearing what I came to call her Polish babushka. She had just finished breast-cancer therapy, and was on the way to good health,” he recalled.

“She connected me to the art world and to the museum world, which helped our village,” said Mr. Gaughan, giving some examples. “She got William Kennedy to come to a library celebration, which brought in more people and money … Matt Bender helped us get architectural awards for the library.”

He concluded, “She helped me expand my network to make the village a better place.”

Mr. Lee, who is married to Mr. Gaughan, described Ms. Dougherty as “the incentive and the driving force” behind his book on Altamont’s history. “She talked to Arcadia Press and then approached me. I said, ‘Are you crazy?’ and she said, “No, no, no. We’ve got all this stuff. You can do it.’”

Mr. Lee went on, “She was very methodical in her approach. She had a wonderful memory.” Referring to the museum collection she curated, he said, “She understood her territory and took joy in sharing.”

Mr. Lee described Ms. Dougherty as both engaging and encouraging. “She made you feel like the only person in the room when you were working with her,” he said. “She had a way of motivating. She kept a variety of us working on different exhibits.”

Two of her constant volunteers were a retired Altamont couple, Lois and Ron Ginsburg. Mr. Ginsburg, a photographer, scanned archival documents and took pictures for Ms. Dougherty’s projects, including Mr. Lee’s book; the signs on lecterns identifying historic buildings in the village; and a book on stained-glass windows in Altamont’s churches.

He also worked on exhibits with Ms. Dougherty and took photographs at the receptions when the exhibit opened.

“She was terrific to work with,” said Mr. Ginsburg.

“She created a very pleasant atmosphere to work in the archives,” said Mrs. Ginsburg. “She turned the archives around … She was incredibly knowledgeable, very unassuming, very thoughtful, very enthusiastic.”

Shaped by her family

Ms. Dougherty was born on Nov. 11, 1937 to Josephine and Edward S. Dougherty, and raised in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. “They were pillars in their small community,” Teresa Fasulo, Ms. Dougherty’s daughter, said of her grandparents. “He was known as Doctor Ed.”

She said of Wilkes-Barre, “It was a coal-mining town. The Doughertys crossed classes. They were very welcoming. They always had people into their home.”

“They would take trips,” said Gabrielle Fasulo, another of Ms. Dougherty’s daughters. She described photos of her mother, as a young woman, dressed in “unbelievable gowns,” even wearing a tiara, looking like a queen. The family made frequent visits to the Château Frontenac in Québec, where a highlight was the New Year’s Eve ball.

“Everyone dressed like royalty,” said Gabrielle Fasulo.

Josephine Dougherty was an elegant woman, her granddaughters said. She was adopted from Canada as a child and had a recollection of her parents being killed in a fire. She died tragically in 1966, in a car accident, when Marijo Dougherty was a young mother with four children.

Ms. Dougherty had gone to D’Youville College in Buffalo at a time, Teresa Fasulo said, “when most women didn’t do that.”

Ms. Dougherty went back to school when her own children were in school. “She was the only mother of any of our friends that did that,” said Gabrielle Fasulo. “We thought it was the coolest thing.”

She described Ms. Dougherty as a mother, using these adjectives: attentive and caring. Ms. Dougherty was passionate about art; she painted, made prints, and took photographs. “She exposed us constantly to the arts — to music and culture,” said Gabrielle Fasulo. “It became part of us.”

Following her passion

“She chose to follow her true passion, earning a master’s degree in fine arts from the University at Albany in 1974 and became a printmaker, a mentor, and curator,” her family wrote. “When she took a job as a half-time assistant at the then-University Art Gallery in 1975, Marijo couldn’t have imagined the position would turn into a rich 28-year career. From assistant to director, she worked feverishly to move the gallery to museum status, which was accomplished in the mid-nineties.

“She was a world traveler, and for more than just pleasure. She went to Yugoslavia on a Fulbright Scholarship, and then in 1984 she was invited to the then-Soviet Union for a cultural exchange with what were known as ‘dissident artists.’

“And her exhibitions were remarkable for their range and showed her ability to spot undiscovered talent. She visited Cuban artists in their small kitchen studios and, in 2001, organized an exhibit of Cuban painters now receiving widespread recognition.

“She introduced now-renown Chinese artist Xu Bing into the campus museum in 1996. She was interim director of the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls in 2007 and 2008. She oversaw ‘Degas and Music,’ an exhibition that combined art forms and involved the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and increased the visibility of the private institution.

“She and her beloved husband, Norman, their daughters, and friends enjoyed frequent sailing excursions on the Hudson River on their classic ketch, the ‘Old Friend.’

“The couple moved from Schenectady to Altamont and rapidly became part of the fabric of the community, organizing and working in numerous local events where she expressed her love of history. She took control of the Village Archives and History Museum and developed 30 exhibits in 11 years including the Museum in the Streets walking tour.

“With a bit of pageantry, an eye for detail, and the ability to make people feel special, she put together memorable shows. She pulled from her network of contacts to support activities to raise funds for awareness and appreciation of cultural moments.

“Once a debutante, she proved one need not be tall to be a commanding presence. She understood the wealthy and had a sensitivity for the less fortunate.

“In one UAlbany exhibit, ‘Memory and Mourning,’ she gathered images and objects that helped people of all faiths and backgrounds connect with a difficult common chapter of life. She placed a memory board on the wall among the artwork with pieces of paper on which visitors could write about a loved one who had passed.

“In her remarks about the show, she wrote: ‘Few human experiences are as powerful and universal and even fewer impact our lives so significantly as those related to the death and mourning of family members, significant others, and public figures.’”

Beyond herself

But what her daughters said they may most value as they remember Ms. Dougherty is her laughter and the light in her eyes. “We all got our sense of humor from her,” said Gabrielle Fasulo. “She would light up any room she walked into — in any country, in any language. The light behind her eyes was infectious.”

Her daughters said her light was like their grandmother’s. And, formed by the family in which she was raised, Ms. Dougherty reached out to others in need, even as, at the end of her life, she struggled with her own illness.

“Regardless of any circumstance, my mother could always see beyond herself,” said Gabrielle Fasulo.

Referring to her mother’s ability to nurture, Teresa Fasulo said, “Norman called her the nipple of the universe.”

“Her personality was so infectious,” said Gabrielle Fasulo. “One of our greatest joys was to make her laugh. Her laugh elevated everything. Getting her going was the best; she was a real belly laugher.

“She could always see the good qualities in people. She was very intuitive,” said Teresa Fasulo. “When you got into her heart, she would cross minefields for you.”

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Marijo Dougherty is survived by her husband, Norman Bauman; by her three children, Patrick, Gabrielle, and Teresa; by her grandchildren, Alexandra, Allegra, Nicholas, Tony, Joey, and Marisa; and by her great-grandchildren, Parker, Myha, and Grace.

Her son, Michael, died in 2017, and her sister, Kay, also died before her.

Respectfully, the family requests that her wishes be honored in that her Celebration Of Life remain a private invitation gathering, due to a limited-capacity location.

Memorial contributions may be made to funds that support projects for the collection and preservation of the history of the Altamont community:

— The Altamont Free Library with “For the Marijo Dougherty Fund” in the memo line, at Post Office Box 662, Altamont, NY 12009; and/or

— The Village of Altamont Keenholts Fund, which directly supports the Altamont Archives project she spearheaded, at Post Office Box 643, Altamont, NY 12009.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer