MARLEY O'BRIEN CARROLL

1948 - 2021

CARROLL, MARLEY O'BRIEN 1948 - 2021 Marley was born in February 1948 and raised in the North Shore of Chicago, Illinois. She was the eldest daughter of Charles and Mary Fran O'Brien and had a loving, tight-knit relationship with her siblings Patty, Chuck and Kay. She attended Sacred Heart School and worked part time jobs at the Chicago Tribune and as an Andy Frain usher. Marley always had a sense of adventure, loving her family travels around the country, a trip to Europe with friends and eventually leaving home for St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto. While this was, likely, intended to be a four-year visit, after meeting Patrick, she was persuaded to stick around Canada another 50 years or so, becoming a citizen in 1976. Marley completed her Master's Degree in Special Education at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and became a teacher with the Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board in 1973. Her son Daniel arrived in 1976 and in November 1979, Marley and Pat had the biggest surprise of their lives when not one, but TWO babies, Peter and Patrick, joined the family. Marley spent the next 25 years or so raising her boys to always be ready to dine with the Queen, or at the very least, be reasonably presentable. In addition to teaching, Marley dedicated her time in service to others, including volunteering at Credit Valley Hospital, Retired Women Teachers of Ontario, and over 25 years with the Society of St. Vincent DePaul at St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish. Two of Marley's greatest passions were family and travelling. The family trips included the Grand Canyon, Jamaica, Colonial Williamsburg, skiing in Vermont, California, Mexico, London and numerous trips to Florida. Marley and Pat cruised the Danube, took an African Safari, said "Aloha" to Hawaii and toured Europe countless times. Twice a year Marley organized visits to her hometown of Chicago where the family dined on Lou Malnati's pizza, attended Cubs games and, most importantly, spent time with her parents, siblings, nephews and niece – something we continue to do whenever we can. In 2003, with the birth of her first grandchild, Marley embraced a new role as Nana! Marley loved spending time with her grandchildren Braeden, Dylan, Loren, Mackenzie and Sydney. She was a consummate teacher and loved sharing her knowledge by doing crafts, cooking and visiting museums and art galleries with them. A special memory for her Grandkids will be going to Nana's house to build gingerbread houses at Christmas, where they enjoyed hot chocolate with marshmallows that were undoubtedly expired but, according to Marley, "just fine... they will soften". To celebrate her and Pat's 50th Wedding Anniversary, Marley was adamant that she wanted the family to take a trip – no small feat during a pandemic. Thankfully, we were able to come together in Muskoka for a wonderful five days, time we will always treasure. Marley loved cooking, golf, gardening, reading, playing Bridge, visiting the theatre, and freezing food in margarine containers. She loved Masterpiece Theatre, Food Network and was a closet Hallmark Channel fan. In her final years, she would rarely be seen without her iPad mini, always trying to capture the moment... we are hoping Mom can find Steve Jobs in heaven and he can teach her how to use it. Marley will be fondly remembered by her husband Patrick, sons Daniel (Melissa), Patrick (Alicia) and Peter, her five grandchildren, along with her sister Patricia Mitchell (Anthony), brother Dr. Charles O'Brien (Suzanne), brother-in-law Michael Carroll (Dianne) and sister-in-law Susan Aiken (Jeff) and many, many friends. A visitation will be held at the Glen Oaks Funeral Home, 3164 Ninth Line, Oakville, 905-257-8822, on Thursday, December 2nd from 4-7 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be held at St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish, 2300 Burnhamthorpe Rd. West, on Friday, December 3, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. Donations to the Society of St. Vincent DePaul at St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish or the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated. Please visit www.glenoaks.ca for service registration and online condolences.