Marios Lothian

Marios Lothian

AGE: 97 • Formerly of Somerville

Marios Lothian, age 97, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 3, 2015. Formerly of Somerville, Marion was daughter of Ellison and Clara (Welsh) Hulsizer. Born in Newark, Marion moved to Somerville when she was a few months old. She graduated Somerville High School in 1935, having been one of the first female cheerleaders and next enrolled in New Jersey College for Women. After marrying Richard Lothian in 1938, Marion focused on her family and followed her interests in piano, sewing, bridge and cooking. On Christmas nights, for many years, she opened her home to neighbors for holiday treats that she had baked for days, and Scottish meals were served regularly.

Marion picked up a new interest in volunteering at the Somerset Medical Center, earning more than 1,000 hours. She chaired the annual Charity Ball, the Ivy Twig fashion show, helped to create a hospital beauty salon and a hospitality shop. She was elected to the hospital's Board of Trustees in 1962, overseeing the School of Nursing, the Family Residency Committee and the Education Committee. At the First Baptist Church of Somerville, she participated as a Sunday School teacher, youth director, treasurer and deacon. She became a member of the Somerville History Club and continued that membership until her death. She was President of the Somerville Old Cemetery Association, was secretary to the Somerset County Republican Club and a board member of the Somerset County Boy Scouts and the Board of the Somerset Valley Visiting Nurses Association. Her love of history and geography followed her to her new retirement home in Manchester Township, NJ in 1970. At Leisure Village West, she became president of the West Village Travel Club. For ten years, she organized and coordinated more than 60 senior citizen trips around the world, treasuring her moment of standing on the Great Wall of China. Marion was President of the Leisure Village West Golf Club Association and raised funds for Deborah Hospital for seven years. Her passion for bridge followed her there also, especially as a champion at the Duplicate Bridge club. While she lived at Leisure Village, she commuted back to Community Baptist Church in Somerset where she was church clerk for eight years. Later, she attended Pinelands Reformed Church. Marion is survived by her three children and their spouses: Rev. Richard "Terry" (and Carolyn) Lothian III, James (and Sharon) Lothian and Lynne (and Charles) Diehl. She enjoyed her nine grandchildren, fourteen great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband of forty-three years, Richard Lothian Jr., her parents, two sisters--Lois and Edna Hulsizer and her three brothers—Frank Russel VanCleef, Sidney Hulsizer and John W. Hulsizer.

Private Burial Services will be held at New Cemetery, Somerville. A Memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Pinelands Reformed Church in Toms River of Somerville High School for a senior graduate who loves history. Funeral arrangments are through Bruce VanArsdale Funeral Home N. Gaston Ave, Somerville.