Marsha Vae Goeken

Marsha Vae Goeken, known as Vae, went to be with the Lord on January 10, 2023, with her dearest friends by her side. Born on October 10,1958 in Yankton, South Dakota, she attended the South Dakota School for the Deaf, graduating in 1977.

Vae went on to study at Gallaudet College (now University) where her passion for theatre was cemented. She starred in productions such as THE KID, WIZARD OF OZ, and WHEN, nabbing numerous acting awards for her outstanding performances. Vae competed in and won the Irene Ryan Acting competition scholarship at the Kennedy Center's American College Theatre Festival. She was president of the Psi Theta Cast of Alpha Psi Omega (National Theatre Honor Society) and a Phi Kappa Zeta sister.

Upon graduating with a B.A. in Theatre in 1982, Vae forged on to work at Fairmount Theatre for the Deaf in Ohio and in 1986, moved to North Hollywood, California. She was one of the original members of the Deaf West Theatre company and partook in many of their productions including ALADDIN, OLIVER!, BIG RIVER (touring), and PINOCCHIO. She was a lead member of the touring comedy group, DEAFYWOOD and with the improv group, Light Flashes in association with Los Angeles' Groundling Theatre. Aside from Theatre, Vae worked in Television and Film, such as CBS's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, FOX's 9-1-1, DEAFYWOOD's A WORLD OF OUR OWN, Mariposa Creativity's NO ORDINARY HERO: THE SUPERDEAFY MOVIE, Mosdeux Films' A PERMANENT GRAVE and DawnSignPress' JACK AND THE BEANSTALK. She starred in the 2020 Superbowl commercial for Turbo Tax. Vae, an actor with "1,000 faces," masterfully embodied a myriad of characters, most notably Cruella de Vil, Maleficent, and the Wicked Witch of the West. She was a proud member of SAG-AFTRA. In recognition for her artistic endeavors, Vae was inducted into South Dakota Association of the Deaf's Hall of Fame.

A devoted member of the Deaf community, Vae's services included working for the Self Actualization Institute for the Deaf, the Los Angeles DEAFestival, the California Association for the Deaf, serving on its Media committee and the Deaf Arts Council, mentoring aspiring actors during summer camps. She loved storytelling and giving performances at community events and at schools.

Spiritually, Vae was a devout member of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church of North Hollywood, where she coordinated Sharing Hands, the Deaf Ministry at St. Matt's, teaching ASL classes. Vae often volunteered at NoHo Home Alliance's Drop-in Services, an unhoused ministry, making sure those in need were well-fed and clothed.

Vae's passions and hobbies included watching DAYS OF OUR LIVES, collecting Wizard of Oz memorabilia, playing board games, especially Backgammon, gathering with her friends, and taking care of many of her friends' children. Vae was adored by her communities around the world, particularly in Los Angeles, CA and in Sioux Falls, SD. She became a masterpiece which we will forever treasure.

Vae was preceded in death by her father, Donald Goeken. She is survived by her loving mother, LaVerne Goeken and a host of aunts, uncles, and cousins. There will be two services, January 28, 2023 in Scotland, SD and February 11, 2023 in North Hollywood, CA.

Vae's love for God and theatre remained strong even in her last days. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Vae's memory to either the Deaf West Theatre at www.deafwest.org/support or St. Matthew's Sharing Hands at https://stmatthewsnoho.charityproud.org/Donate/?cid=8648