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Peter MARSHALL Obituary
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Memories and Condolences
for Peter MARSHALL
Sponsored by anonymous.
December 10, 2015
WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS MAN...HE FATHERED ONE OF THE WONDERFULL WOMEN EVER...ALICE.....WHAT WAS I THINKING....PLEASE FORGIVE...LOVE YAH ALWAYS.....SORRY ABOUT DAD...DID NOT KNOW. REMEMBER ROD STEWERT[LOVE FOREVER] STILL HAVE BIBLE FROM MARY..ALWASYS IN MY PRAYERS...ALWAYS REMEMBER FAMILY...INCLUDING LOVED ANN..HAVE TO SEE YOU/TALK BEFORE THE END..5187081977 LOLOVE
Liz Forman
September 14, 2010
I heard from Peter just a few weeks ago...such a joy-filled conversation....and we remembered so fondly the time my family spent with him in Philadelphia in 2007. Peter's mother was my mother's dear friend....and Peter, Edith and the children were so special to so many of us in Delray Beach.
My love and prayers to the entire family. Blessings,
Liz (Steele) Forman
Christine Pinunsky
March 8, 2010
To Jo and her lovely family -
There are many people who cross our paths in our lifetime. Some we forget and some we do not. Peter is one of those individuals whom I was blessed to know. He was a kind and loving husband and father. He had a wonderful sense of humor. The regret I have is that when Ed (my husband who passed away in 2008) and I moved to the town of Portland we lost touch with Peter and his family. Peter went through a very serious time with illness when we lived in Chester and he sent the parishioners at St. Joseph a beautiful letter thanking everyone for their prayers. I am not sure, but I may still have this letter. Jo - my prayers are with you and your family during this trying time. I know that you have the faith that Peter has gone home to Our Lord. God Bless You All. Christine Pinunsky
Mark Walters
February 28, 2010
Just heard the sad news. My heartfelt condolences to Josephine and the entire Marshall family.
In my childhood memories of our corner of Chester, the Marshall family occupies a place of fond esteem. Even my grown children, who've never lived in Chester, have heard of my neighbors the Marshalls, as part of my recounting to them prominent stories from my past; in particular the Marshall family's kindness and generosity welcoming me and 6 of my siblings into their home (that's 7 on top of their own huge number!) while our parents were away on a family emergency. The Marshall family's outpouring of warmth and hospitality during our time of need is something I'll remember always.
There's no greater legacy of a fine man than the fine family he left behind.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Barbara Woodcock
February 25, 2010
My Dear Marshall Family,
I just found out about Mr. Marshall’s passing this evening. I felt devastated.
Mr. Peter Marshall was one of the most wonderful people I have ever known.
I grew up around the Marshall house. Their son Barney was one of my very best friends. Mr. and Mrs. Marshall were some of the best parents I ever met.
I have been quite a few places in this world and have done quite a few things. The Marshall family has been in my thoughts very often throughout my life. Mr. and Mrs. Marshall surely made a difference in my life.
Mr. Peter Marshall will be greatly missed by me and many. My heart goes out to the Marshall Family, one of the most wonderful families of this world.
Louie DeLorso, Sr
February 22, 2010
With deepest sorrow of a man that I had the honor and previlage to know since I was a young boy from Mount St John's School. Pete guided me through many difficulties in my life. His family has been my second family through life. He will be greatly missed but his spirit is strong in my heart. With all my love to Jo and the rest of the family.
February 18, 2010
I feel blessed to have been a part of the Marshall family for 40 years. Peter inspired me to go into social work. He will be missed. My condolences to the Marshall family.
Beth Abbey Middletown, Ct.
February 17, 2010
Goodness does not end at death and Peter was a good man! May he continue to bless all of us from his new place above. We, at ACt, shall be missing his presence in our midst but I feel sure his prayers for us will be continuing. May God's strenght guide all of you in the days ahead. Sister Betty Igo-Reg 3 ACT
February 17, 2010
Peter was truly a Healer with the Heart of Jesus and we all know where he is right now!
We celebrate this passing with you, Peter, and all your precious ones you leave behind. You meant a lot to me over all those years in ACT. I thank God for you and all the support and encouragement you gave me.
Much love, Karen Cichon, Chicago
Sister Betty Igo
February 17, 2010
Goodness does not end at death and Peter was a good man! May he continue to bless all of us from his new place above. We, at ACT, shall be missing his presence in our midst but I feel sure his prayers for us will be continuing. May God's strenght guide all of you in the days ahead. Sister Betty Igo-Reg 3 ACT
Steve Marshall
February 17, 2010
My Dad was a Giant.
by Steve Marshall
Ever since I was little, I always thought of my dad as a Giant. He had a giant smile, he had a giant ego, he had a giant sense of humor, he had a giant Faith, he had a giant Temper, he had a giant Family, he had a giant Heart and he had a giant Determination.
His Giant Smile. My dad always had a smile. He would always try to get you to smile. We used to play a game at the dinner table, when we were growing up. If someone burped, regardless of who did it, you immediately put your index finger to the side of your nose. Who ever was last, everyone would say “Iggy Wiggy _(Last person)_ is a Piggy” and we would all laugh. We did it no mater what, and no matter who was at dinner. I still remember the first time we had a priest over for dinner, and the shocked look on their face when we all had our fingers on the side of our nose. (I think it was Father Ray) and then he turned Beet Red when we all yelled “Iggy Wiggy Fr. Ray is a Piggy”. Once we explained it to him, he could not wait for his ride to come pick him up, so that he could invite them in to sit down, and do it to them. It was hilarious to see how much fun he thought it was, when he was not the piggy.
His Giant Sense of Humor. My dad loved to make us laugh. When we were growing up. he tell us jokes, and scare us with fake snakes and bugs when we were little. He loved to play practical jokes. When we were little we were taught to answer the phone by saying “Hello, who is this please?” and when he would call in to check on us he would always use a different name. His favorite name to use was Charlie Bumbleleany.
His Giant Ego. My Father grew up in New York, he worked hard to go to college and get ahead. He was very smart and was proud of what he accomplished. But he also taught us that it did not matter who you were, or how much money you made. What mattered was what you did, the things you cared about, those were all that mattered, and if you worked hard enough, and long enough, you could accomplish anything. and be anything.
His Giant Faith. If you knew my dad, you knew his faith. My dad was never shy about what he believed. He was always involved with the church, and anything to do with the Catholic Faith. He attended Daily Mass, and went to Eucharistic Adoration four or five times a week, for most of his life. He prayed the rosary, and knew more prayers by heart, then anyone I have ever met. As children growing up, we all complained about his strict adherence to attending church, saying the rosary, fasting and having an active prayer life. We all rebelled against it at some point of adolescents, and then came to appreciate it more as we grew older. Now that we all have families of our own, we all thank God for the wonderful gift of the faith, that he passed on to all of us. We now all realize that our faith is the single largest gift of strength, that he and my Mom gave us.
His Giant Temper. Seeing my dad in anger was one of the scariest things I can ever remember. Growing up, I think each of us got my dad to the point of being extremely angered with us. ONCE. Very few of us were foolish enough to do it twice.
He had a Giant Family. Yes, there were ten of us. Yes, my Mom actually wanted twelve. She had two miscarriages, so it was not for lack of trying. Yes, we often had other kids living with us. Sometimes friends who had been kicked out of their house, because of irreconcilable differences with their parents. Sometimes just people who were down and needed a place to stay. My Sister Ann died when she was sixteen, in a car accident, and although it was an extremely painful time for all of us, in many ways, it brought us closer as a family. So now everyone is Married, and has kids. Twenty Nine Grand Kids at last count. One Great Grand Child so far. One Catholic Priest and One Deacon. That is a Giant of a legacy for anyone to leave.
He had a Giant Heart. I already mentioned the kids that we had staying with us, but it was not only kids. Sometimes it was adults who were going through a difficult time, or an unwed teenage mother who was thrown out of her house. Or someone who had been sick and needed someplace to heal, and had no one else to help. There were dozens and dozens of these over the years. Both my Dad and my Mom always opened their doors to anyone in need.
He had a Giant Determination. As I mentioned, my dad always believed that anyone could accomplish anything, and if you could not accomplish it on your own, then you could pray about it and God would help you accomplish it. He never listened to anyone tell him he could not do something. When I was a teenager and he became paralyzed overnight from Gillian Beret Syndrome, he was told he would never walk again, and indeed he was paralyzed and in a wheel chair for close to five months, but he never gave up hope and he kept working as hard as possible, and with a lot of hard work and a mountain of faith, the paralysis started to recede, he went from a wheel chair to a walker, then from a walker to a cane, then from a cane to walking unassisted, and then to running five miles a day. That was my dad, that was the Giant.
So when I was twenty two and decided to get married, I drove home from Maryland with my brother and I told him, I had asked Patty to marry me. I did not tell him to keep it a secret, I just assumed he would know that I wanted to tell my parents myself. Well I was twenty two, and when I got home, I wanted to go out, so I showered and went out, My big plan of telling my parents the next day about my big announcement. Well the next morning we were all walking down to the center of town, and my Dad blurts out in front of everyone, “So Steven I understand your going to get married?”. Well, I was pissed, I could not believe that he would just blurt out my big announcement, ruin my big plan of telling my parents and explaining my plans, it was my big moment, my big surprise, my big plan, it was mine, I had it all worked out, and here he just blurted it out, and wrecked everything. I was really mad at him, I could not believe that he would wreck my one big moment for my one big special thing. (Believe me, if you had grown up as the eighth child, in a family of ten kids, you would understand how devastating it would be, to have your one special moment, the one special thing that was yours, no one else’s, no ones hand-me-down whatever, but the one thing that was all yours, and only yours, and have it evaporate in front of you.) Well, needless to say I was pissed off. I was so mad I was not talking to him for days, and I was ready for it to be a lot longer.
It is funny, because it was my sister Mary who finally asked me what was going on, and why I was so mad. After I told her, she said to me. “Geesh Steven, how did you expect him to know that you had all that built up in your mind. Did you expect him to have ESP? He’s just a man. He makes mistakes. Just get over it.” Or something similar. (rather unkind of her, I thought at the time.) I could not believe what she said. The Giant did not have ESP? The Giant could make mistakes? The Giant was not even a Giant, but just a man, and I had a crick in my neck looking up for all those years for nothing? It was dumbfounding. It was earth shattering. My Dad was not a Giant, he was just a man. Just a Man. A Man who made mistakes. Just then I recalled a time when I was fifteen, and we were fooling around in the living room, and I picked up my Dad, and carried him half way across the room. I remembered the look of shock on his face, that I had picked him up, I remembered my own shock, that I had carried the Giant across half the room. It had been something that had puzzled me at the time, but had not been a big enough incident to burst the myth of the Giant. But now, now armed with this new knowledge, that there was no Giant, the truth finally hit me. My dad was just a man. Not a Giant. Just a man. I was crestfallen. I was flabbergasted. I was stunned with shock and disappointment. I realized that the myth of the Giant was an important part of who I was, I was the child of the Giant, he could do Anything, be Anything, accomplish Anything. It was my rock, my foundation of who I was, and who my family was. Now what did I have? I had a dad who was a man, a man who made mistakes. OK, so I had not seen many of them at that time, but if he was a man, he must have made mistakes. If he could make mistakes, what if when I asked him things, and when he offered his opinions, what if he might be wrong?
When I realized that my Dad was just a man, that was when I truly began to grow up. I realized that if he was just a man, then anything he ever taught me could be wrong. Now I was going to have to go out and figure out if all the things I always thought were true, were really true. I would have to come up with my own opinions, and then I would have to compare and contrast them to my Dad’s because he could be wrong. Needless to say, it was a huge shift in thinking for me. It was really a very interesting time, but it did not last that long. It did not last that long, because I had quickly realized, that if my Dad was just a man, how had he done everything he had done? How had he accomplished all that he had accomplished? How had he raised ten children, steered us as a family through the loss of one of those children, provided a house and food for us. Overcome paralysis. Worked two jobs, commuted to New York for years, survive being laid off. Survive being in a wheel chair for five months and being told you would never walk again, without giving up hope? How did he do all of these things? It was easy to believe he could do all of those things, if he were a Giant, but if he were just a man? A man who made mistakes? Surely, no one would believe that just a man could do what he had done? A Giant yes, a man, surely not? That was when I realized, that as much respect as I had for my father when I thought that he was a Giant, I now had twice as much respect for him, now that he was just a man, That he could do and accomplish all he had, and just be a man, a man who made mistakes. So if he could do everything that I knew he had done, and he was just a man, and he could be wrong. He could make mistakes. I realized that if I were just a man, that is the kind of man I would like to be. I also realized that to know a man, a man who made mistakes, but who still accomplished as much as he, that even if I did not agree with his opinion, or if I thought it was wrong, I realized it would be smart to still consider such a man’s opinion and that lacking any information to the contrary, that such an opinion would always be a good starting point, not something set in stone, he was a man after all, but a good starting point.
So, now I am almost Forty Eight years old, and I have spent the last twenty five years, trying to develop my own opinions, and learn everything there is about the world. I have tried to be a good man. A man who makes mistakes, and I have made plenty. I used to try to keep track, but once you have kids, it is impossible to keep up with the count of the number of mistakes you make. I have found children to be the most humbling of experiences, by far the highest highs and the lowest lows of any time in my life. But, I would never trade even a second of it. No matter how low, the lowest low is, it can not compare to the highs. I have four children, and I love them dearly, I can not fathom the possibility, or the responsibility, of having ten. I am over my head with four. Children do not come with manuals, and if you try to be smart, and write down all your observations about one, so that you will have a manual for the next, you quickly find that not only did you get a new model, but it has been completely overhauled, and all of the controls are in completely different places, and all your carefully crafted notes and observations, from the last model, are completely useless. You must start over from scratch.
So, I have tried to be a good parent, to be a good husband, to be a good provider, to be a good man. I have looked for other examples of men that I might learn from, who’s opinions are worthy of consideration, and who have earned my respect, and while I have met quite a few, it has been far, far less then I expected to find, when I first started this journey to be a good man.
So, I have tried to follow the example of my Dad, who was just a man, a man who made mistakes. After twenty five years, of trying to be like this man, this man who made mistakes, I have come to one inescapable conclusion: MY DAD WAS A GIANT!
February 17, 2010
Sincere condolences on the death of Peter. He was such a beautiful man. I remember him from ACT. May God give him eternal rest and may he see God in the fullness of His glory
Renée Lavitt - Past ACT President and presently Canadian Coordinator
Denise Dolff
February 17, 2010
Thank you to all the Marshall family for sharing Peter with ACT. He always represented strength of character and conviction to me, and the consolation of his death is that he will be now a more powerful prayer warrior for all of us. My prayers are with you.
Denise Dolff, ACT Region 10
February 17, 2010
Blessings and peace to the Marshall Family. Kate Murphy and Yvonne McRory Kukielka ACT- Region 3
Jackie Sitte
February 17, 2010
My condolences to you all in the death of dear Peter. I will miss him!
He will be forever remembered, as will Josephine, as to the contributions to ACT. Peter was a very blessed man who shared so very much of the gift that he was in ACT, and in life, in general.
I wish I could be with you for the funeral. Will be holding you all in my heart in prayer during this time. In Christ's love and mine,
Jackie Sitte
Joan O'Sullivan
February 17, 2010
I am so sorry for your loss. I will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers.
Nadine Morse
February 17, 2010
My sincerest sympathies go out to the entire Marshall family
Nadine Morse
February 17, 2010
My sincerest sympathies go out to the entire Marshall family.
Betsy Macmillan
February 16, 2010
Sue - and the whole Marshall Clan - So sorry about the loss of your Dad. I can visualize him, sitting in a chair, his innocent blue eyes, making comments that only Mr. Marshall could make :) I hope you all can remember the good times and the love he has for all of you. Although I didn’t get to know him very well, I know he made a huge and positive impact on so many lives. My prayers are with you all.
Kate Shaw
February 16, 2010
"God Bless" My deepest sorrow on your great loss dear Marshall family. Peter is a dear helper along this journey to me and many others I am sure. My prayers are with you all today. Kate
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