Grace Jeannette Marshall

MARSHALL, Grace Jeannette, age 87, of Centerville, passed away on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. Grace was born on November 16, 1935 to Dorris and Myrtle Steele in Paulding, Ohio. She graduated from Paulding High School and married Richard "Dick" Marshall in 1957, with whom she had three children. Grace served as the secretary to the principal for 26 years at Stingley Elementary School in Centerville, Ohio, retiring in 1996.

A fiercely devoted and doting mother and grandmother, Grace dedicated her life to ensuring her children were raised well and always behaved. This included pulling pranks on them like rattling their bedroom windows from outside at night, surprising them by jumping out of their closets, and doing donuts in her Oldsmobile Delta 88 on snow-covered parking lots (they grew up with senses of humor). Her other interests included dancing, basking on the beach at Lago Mar Resort in Florida, training new principals at Stingley, yearly gambling forays to Vegas and the Bahamas (she always hit it big playing the slot machines), but mostly, spending time with her family.

Indeed, Grace's life revolved around her family. She chose a career at her children's schools so that she could have the same schedules as her children. Her husband's career involved many moves and much travel, but Grace managed to always create a home that was warm and beautiful, and always filled with neighborhood kids playing - but woe to the child who left messy fingerprints on the walls or windows! Keeping her family close, Grace and the children would travel with Dick every week of the summer; many fun memories were made of motel pools and all three children in the backseat of that Delta 88. And the annual spring break meant a week of sandy beaches and the ocean at Ft. Lauderdale, a family tradition that continued for decades with her grandchildren.

Grace's grandchildren were the light of her life. A trip to "Mama's" meant big homemade breakfasts, morning cuddles in Mama's big bed, rides round and round the yard on the golf cart (bought and used only for the grandchildren - never for golf), and big family Christmases with presents filling the house.

As Grace's family grew up and grew larger, her guidance and wisdom shone. She always spoke words of comfort with love, and dispensed guidance with wit and wisdom. During hard patches, she would advise her children to make a daily gratitude list; her motto "This, too, shall pass" echoes in our hearts still. As Grace grew older, her wit and humor only grew - she was fun to be with, always singing and able to zing a retort with the best of them. She ended every phone call to her loved ones by singing "You're the light of my life!" and "I love you, a bushel and a peck! And a hug around the neck!"

Grace's loved ones include her children, Kim Adamle (Mike Adamle) of Chicago, Illinois, Kent Marshall (Bruce McGee) of Monroe, Ohio, Kelli Marshall Pope (Newt Bartel) of Kettering, Ohio; former daughter-in-law, Pamela Kronauge Marshall of Centerville, Ohio; grandchildren, G. Bradley Self (Kimiko Sasaki) of Salt Lake City, Utah and Elgin, Illinois, Courtney Self (Stephen Cyr) of New York City, Svetlana Bean (Jeffrey Bean) of Salt Lake City, Utah, Alexandra Adamle (Jordan Bolin) of Elgin, Illinois, Kelsey Marshall Hughes (Byron Hughes) of Franklin Square, New York, Kirk Marshall of Cincinnati, Ohio, Michael Pope (Christina Ung) of Yorba Linda, California, and Morgan McGee (Brody Wilhoit) of Oakwood, Ohio; great-grandchildren, Makayla, Steele, and Angelina Self of Elgin, Illinois.

She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings, Katie, Vicky, and Dennis; her longtime husband, Dick; as well as her oldest grandson, Bradley.

Grace, Mom, Mama - you are the light of our lives, and we will always love you a bushel and a peck. No services.