Ann Hall Marshall, 95, of Emmitsburg, MD, mother, teacher, author, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, August 14, 2016. She was the beloved wife of Dr. Robert Thomas Marshall who died in 1996.
Ann grew up in upper New York State, the daughter of Burt Lucas and Juliana Rhein Hall. During the Great Depression, she was forced to drop out of college for lack of funds, and she waitressed for 13 months until she could return.
She graduated from Seton Hill College, cum laude, in 1943. Within days, she married her longtime sweetheart, and shortly thereafter, she traveled with her husband across the country as a pregnant war bride. Captain Marshall was wounded in Europe, where he received a Purple Heart and a Silver Star. Upon his return to civilian life, he earned his Ph.D. at Catholic University, courtesy of the GI Bill and a Knights of Columbus Fellowship. When he accepted a position at Mount St. Mary’s College (now University) in 1949, the couple already had three children.
Ann’s family was always her first priority. She and Bob built a six-bedroom home near the college, where the couple raised their ten children. She taught Adult Education at Seton Center in Emmitsburg for 17 years, and in 1970, she earned her Masters degree from the University of Maryland. She taught there as an adjunct for the next five years while continuing to teach in Emmitsburg. In 1975, she started working for the Frederick County Board of Education, where she supervised all facets of the adult education program for 11 years. In 1979, she was named Outstanding Adult Educator in Maryland.
In 1998, Seton Hill University honored Ann with a Distinguished Alumna Leadership Award. In 2000, she was named an Affiliate of the Daughters of Charity.
In retirement, Ann and Bob traveled extensively. At 85, she began writing novels. Crooked Lines, Full Measure of Love and Dori’s Life are available on Amazon. At the time of her death, she was working on two volumes of family history, which will be published posthumously, and a fourth novel.
Ann is survived by seven children: Margaret Marshall, Santa Fe, NM; Ann F. Marshall, Mountain View, CA; Thea Marshall (Ethan Allen), Honolulu, HI; Kate Marshall (Kirk Ruthenberg), Potomac, MD; Patricia Marshall (George Filgate), Eugene, OR; Elaine Marshall (Tim Burns), Myersville, MD; and Robert Marshall (Cheryl), Dousman, WI. She is also survived by 18 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, and her beloved daughter-in-law, Rebecca Marshall of Frederick, MD. Of special note are her nieces and nephews, BJ Hall (Mary), Priscilla Purinton (Dennis Migneault), Susan Hall, and Alison Stevens, and their children; and her close neighbors and friends, Michael and Donna Hanning and their son Ben. Ann shared a special bond and interest in genealogy with her great-niece, Brooke Purinton, and their discussions over family history brought her much joy.
She was predeceased by two cherished daughters, Mary Marshall and Sara Marshall Hanning, and her dear son, Don Marshall.
The family wishes to acknowledge the wonderful caregivers who assisted their mother during her last several years.
Ann summed up her life in the words of Robert Louis Stevenson: “Glad did I live and gladly die and I laid me down with a will.”
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 12:00 noon on Saturday, September 3, 2016, at Saint Anthony Shrine Parish, 16150 Saint Anthony Road, Emmitsburg, Maryland, 21727, with a reception following at Mount St. Mary’s University, McGowan Hall, Cardinal Keeler Dining Room.
Arrangements have been entrusted to MYERS-DURBORAW FUNERAL HOME in Emmitsburg.