Deloris "Quarterman" Marshall

Deloris Marshall's Obituary

Deloris Marshall, born Deloris Quarterman on May 25, 1935, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on January 21, 2026, at the age of 90. She devoted her life to faith, family, and justice, leaving behind a legacy of service, courage, and compassion that profoundly shaped the City of Allentown and all who knew her.

Deloris was born into a deeply spiritual family to Reverend Redfrick Quarterman and Fanny Quarterman. She was raised alongside her brother, Redford Quarterman Jr., and her sister, Essie Quarterman Curtis, in a home grounded in faith, discipline, and service. When her father was called to serve as a minister at St. James AME Zion Church in the late 1950s, the family relocated from Philadelphia to Allentown-marking the beginning of Deloris' lifelong connection to the city she would later serve so faithfully.

"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." - Jeremiah 29:7

From an early age, Deloris demonstrated a deep love for Jesus Christ and a commitment to serving others that would define the rest of her life. Her favorite hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," reflected the faith she lived by-steady, compassionate, and unwavering.

Deloris graduated from William Allen High School in 1953. That same year, she attended Livingston College in Salisbury, North Carolina-a historically Black Christian college affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church-for one semester. After experiencing the harsh realities of racism in the South, she returned home, and that experience profoundly shaped her resolve to confront injustice with courage and conviction for the rest of her life.

In 1954, Deloris began working as a housekeeper in the West End of Allentown. With no car and no alternative transportation, she walked-three miles each way, six miles round trip-every day to work. Along that walk, she passed Cedar Crest College. Seeing the campus repeatedly sparked something deeper: possibility. Because Cedar Crest was an all-women's college, she felt a sense of safety and belonging, and it inspired her to pursue higher education.

In 1955, Deloris attended Cedar Crest College, often walking that same three-mile route-at times through open fields-to reach campus. She was among the earliest Black women to attend Cedar Crest, a quiet but courageous step that reflected both her determination and her faith. She attended during the 1955 academic year until her marriage and the beginning of family life temporarily paused her formal education.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." - Colossians 3:23

During this season of her life, Deloris met Frederick Lee Marshall at Fountain Park, introduced by her sister, Essie. Their courtship led to marriage on September 29, 1956. Following the birth of their first son, Erick Lynn Marshall, on June 15, 1957, Deloris briefly assumed the role of housewife and mother. Driven by a strong sense of purpose, she returned to the workforce, working at the Allentown State Hospital from 1957 to 1967. Their second son, Frederick "Wayne" Marshall, was born on August 16, 1970.

In 1974, as a mother of two, Deloris returned to Cedar Crest College to complete the education she had begun nearly two decades earlier. She earned her degree in social work in 1977, fulfilling a long-held goal through perseverance and discipline. That same year, 1977, she began her professional career with the Allentown Housing Authority, where she would devote more than two decades of service to housing justice and community advocacy.

Deloris later made history as the second Black woman to serve on the Cedar Crest Alumni Board. In recognition of her years of social work, community service, and dedication to Allentown, she was awarded the prestigious Ginkgo-Leaf Pin in 1996.

Deloris shared 57 years of marriage with her husband, Frederick Marshall, until his passing on September 25, 2013. He was her first love and her only love, and together they built a home rooted in faith, perseverance, justice, and service to others.

As a young leader, Deloris played a pivotal role in Allentown's civil rights history. At the age of 28, she served as president of the Little Lehigh Property Owners and Renters Organization, part of Community Action Lehigh Valley, advocating for fair market value for Black homeowners displaced during urban redevelopment efforts in the 1960s. Her leadership helped give voice and dignity to families navigating housing inequity and forced relocation.

Her lifelong advocacy was later honored through the arts in Another River Flows, a community theater production by Touchstone Theater that opened on June 13, 2008, at Symphony Hall in Allentown. The play explored the African American experience in the Lehigh Valley and highlighted Deloris' early work in housing justice and community leadership.

Professionally, Deloris served with distinction at the Allentown Housing Authority from 1977 until her retirement in 1998. After retiring, she continued a life of extraordinary service as a medical social worker with Sacred Heart Visiting Nurses and Heartland Home Care and Hospice. She also served as a Benefits CheckUp Ambassador with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, volunteered weekly with Pathways of the Lehigh County Conference of Churches, and volunteered monthly with the Yokefellow Prison Ministry, ministering to women at the Lehigh County Prison. She further contributed her leadership through service on advisory boards and commissions, including the Lehigh County Children's Bureau Advisory Committee, the Allentown Human Relations Commission, and the Lehigh County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Advisory Board, while also holding leadership roles with the Grace Community Foundation and the Allentown NAACP.

Deloris' decades of service were widely recognized. In 2008, she was honored at the 8th Annual Tribute to Unsung Heroes by the Lehigh County Office of Aging and Adult Services and received citations from both the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Pennsylvania Senate. In 2019, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Allentown NAACP, an honor further affirmed by a citation from the Pennsylvania Senate. Over the course of her life, she also received numerous civic honors from the City of Allentown, including official proclamations, letters of recognition from successive mayors, and the Key to the City.

In her later years, Deloris' legacy continued to be recognized publicly. She was featured alongside her son in The New York Times Sunday edition on September 10, 2023, and was honored by WFMZ Channel 69 on her 90th birthday last year, celebrating her lifetime of service and impact in the Allentown community.

Deloris Marshall is survived by her two sons, Erick Lynn Marshall and Frederick Wayne Marshall, and by multiple generations of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchild, as well as a sister-in-law, nephews, and cherished friends and neighbors.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." - 2 Timothy 4:7

Through her faith, service, and unwavering love for humanity, Deloris Marshall leaves behind a legacy that will endure for generations-a life marked by discipline, courage, and steadfast devotion to God, conscience, and community.

In honor of Deloris Marshall's life and legacy, the family respectfully invites donations to Community Action Lehigh Valley. Deloris loved the City of Allentown deeply and devoted much of her life to serving its residents, advocating for justice, and strengthening the community she called home. Supporting this organization reflects the work she believed in and the community she cared for so profoundly.

https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/community-action-committee-of-the-lehigh-valley/calv-general-donations

Sorrowfully submitted,

The Family

To Learn more visit her Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/delorisqmarshall