Final Salute

MARIE ELAINE GAMARD MARSCHALL Obituary

Marie Elaine Gamard Marschall returned to the arms of her Heavenly Father, April 15, 2020, in the midst of her 100th trip around the sun.

Feisty until the end, she left instructions for us all to find religion before it’s too late, master the domestic basics of life and, above all, follow her own example of dying young as old as possible.

Along Mom’s path through life, some notable things stuck out: a nearly 70-year romance with her sometimes-impolitic husband (who always insisted on calling her “Tiger”); the effortless grace she applied to being a career-Navy spouse; an innate giftedness for subjects as varied as cooking, hostessing, contract bridge, gardening, keeping the neighborhood squirrels fed, and wallpapering; her later role as our plainspoken family matriarch; the insistence on decorum, no matter the company or circumstance; how good she looked on a dance floor until the very end.

The last of the Gamard sisters was predeceased by her husband, A.R. “Mike” Marschall, RADM, USN; her first-born son, Tom Marschall; her parents, Edward “Pops” and Amy “Mamie” Gamard; and siblings Lucille Daniel, Amy Wiederecht and Edward Gamard. At some point, we had come to believe she might outlive the rest of us, too.

Left to cherish her memory are: David Marschall (Bobbie), Laurel Patterson (RIP, Pat), Pam Lemoine (Johnny) and Albert Marschall (marriage-averse); her beloved grandchildren: Carson Marschall (Sarah), Garin Marschall (Erica), Wythe Marschall, Zachary Marschall (Trika), Parker Marschall (Lauren), Elizabeth Alexius (Danton), Susan Marschall, Craig Patterson (Cheron), Connor Patterson (Margaret), Christiane Patterson, Kyle Lemoine, Thomas Lemoine and Brooke Lemoine; 15 equally adored great-grandchildren; many devoted nephews and nieces; and a circle of friends and admirers too countless to name here.

The family would like to express its appreciation for the care given by Pierre Baker of Hospice in His Care, Wendy Johnson, Rita Turner, Loise Lanus and Arka Robertson, who set a new standard for human grace while patiently tending to our mother these last months.

Out of concern for the Coronavirus pandemic, a memorial service and interment will be held in Annapolis, MD at a later and safer date. In lieu of flowers, drink two enormous glasses of “peanut noir” wine in her honor, consider a gift to the U.S. Navy Seabee Foundation – and above all, keep the faith. That is all.