Marie Gish

GISH, MARIE E., 77, of Odenton, MD went to walk with God Friday, December 6, 2013. She was born February 7, 1936, with her twin sister, Myrtle, to John and Mary Keister on the Keister family farm in Smithville, Wayne County, OH. Ms. Gish was a 1954 graduate of Wadsworth High School and worked as a secretary/ bookkeeper for the Freeman Construction Co., Wooster, OH. In September of 1959 at East Union Lutheran Church, Wooster, OH she married John Gish. As the spouse of an Air Force Security Serviceman they spent time in San Antonio, TX where she worked at USAA , then Zweibrucken, Germany before the family settled in Odenton, MD in 1967. After a year of employment at MacArthur Junior High School in Ft. Meade, Ms. Gish was hired by the National Security Agency. She retired in 1996 after 28 years of dedicated service. Ms. Gish's talent for leadership was evident in her many years as a parent/leader in the Central Maryland Girl Scouts, a Vocational Technology mentor for both Baltimore and Anne Arundel County Schools, as well as the 4-H Clubs of America which led her to the Anne Arundel County Fair Association. Her passion for community, camaraderie, and pride gained her a seat on the Anne Arundel County Fair Board of Directors. Her reputation of perseverance and accomplishment led to lifetime membership. Aside from her love for youth /student development Ms. Gish was also an avid gardener and herbalist. While a member of the NSA Garden Club and Friendly Thyme Herb Club she created and maintained a backyard retreat that was a featured tour stop for the Maryland Herb Club Society. Ms. Gish also became a member of the Phoenix Society in 1996. Ms. Gish is survived by her daughter Lisa (Bill) Gish-Moyer of College Park, MD, son Kevin (Brenda) Gish, Glen Burnie, MD; her grandson Bryan Paugh, Laurel, MD, and granddaughter Amelia Gish; by her sister, Mrs. Myrtle Stull of Wadsworth, OH; her cousin, Mrs. Naomi Lance, Wooster OH. Friends are invited to gather at a memorial service to be held at Hardesty Funeral Home, 851 Annapolis Rd., Gambrills, MD 21054 at 2:00pm, Saturday, December 14, 2013. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be made to the: Anne Arundel County Fair, Herb Department, P.O. Box 372, Crownsville, MD 21032. Online condolences may be placed at www.hardestyfuneralhome.com