Marilyn Lou Bandel

Marilyn Lou (Boston) Bandel passed away peacefully on September 24, 2024, at the age of 87 after several months of declining health.
A native of Maryland's Eastern Shore, Marilyn was born on March 3, 1937, the eldest of three daughters born to the late William Theodore (Ted) Boston and Sarah (Bassett) Boston of Cambridge, MD. She spent her early childhood in the Sandy Hill neighborhood of Cambridge, where she liked to play along the banks of the nearby Choptank River.
When Marilyn was a teenager, her father's position as Assistant Superintendent for the Maryland State Department of Education required the family to pick up roots and move to Ellicott City. She attended Howard Senior High School, whereupon graduating she received the Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award for earning consistent A's in science. Years later, Marilyn remarked that she had entertained the idea of studying medicine, but academic advisors never encouraged this career path as a possibility for her. She didn't realize until later how much of a missed opportunity that was. Highlights of her high school years include meeting her future husband, V. Allan Bandel, and being crowned Howard County Farm Queen.
Marilyn attended Washington College as an undergrad where she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority and later earned her B.S. in Education from Salisbury State Teachers' College (now Salisbury University). After her marriage in 1959, she worked at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and later as a teacher with the Prince George's County School System. Marilyn left teaching to raise her children, Cheryl and David. She later earned her M.Ed. in literacy and reading disabilities from Western Maryland College and went on to work as a reference librarian for the Howard County Public Library. She stayed with the library for more than a decade.
Marilyn was a devoted mother. She filled the Bandel home with books, music, art materials, and pets. Cheryl and David recall being patiently taught how to play their mother's prized piano and were encouraged to pursue interests of all kinds. Whenever the children claimed there was "nothing to do," Marilyn always had a solution. Saturday mornings were often spent working in the family vegetable garden and taking care of other outdoor chores. Marilyn was extremely supportive of Cheryl's and David's extracurricular and club activities and pitched in whenever a helping hand was needed.
Marilyn's hobbies included reading, gardening, playing the piano, and creative arts of all kinds. She was an especially skilled seamstress, and later enjoyed painting kiln-fired china, for which she earned a blue ribbon at the Maryland State Fair. Marilyn and her husband were also very active in Glenelg United Methodist Church where she sang in the choir for many years.
Throughout her life Marilyn and her husband loved to travel. Allan's career at the University of Maryland involved frequent speaking engagements which afforded the entire family chances to explore the country. Marilyn ensured that these were memorable experiences for everyone.
In the mid-1970s, Marilyn traveled to Europe for the first time when Allan led a tour group comprised of Maryland farmers through Europe and Russia. The tour program, established to promote international understanding and friendship through educational, cultural and humanitarian activities, was an extraordinary opportunity to meet people and visit places not always easily accessible to westerners at the time. Certainly, this trip whetted their interest in travel, which increasingly became even more of a favorite activity for them both. Marilyn and Allan toured the US, Canada and the Caribbean, and enjoyed many bus trips, cruises, and drives to Walt Disney World with their children and grandchildren.
After raising their family in Highland and a later move to Glenwood, MD, Marilyn and Allan were ready for a more carefree retirement while still being near family and friends. To that end, they downsized and were among the first residents of Ellicott City's newly opened Lutheran Village at Millers Grant in 2016. Marilyn was an early member of the chorus there and enjoyed the wealth of social activities available.
Marilyn will be remembered by her family as an unwavering source of love and support. She was never one to be comfortable in the spotlight, preferring a more "behind the scenes" presence. Nevertheless, she could always be counted on to make things happen when someone she cared about needed help or there was a situation that needed setting straight. She was a faithful friend and valued those friendships greatly.
Marilyn is survived by her sisters, Ellen Rindfuss (Bruce) of Myrtle Beach, SC; and Peggy Van Huizen (Piet) of Burlington, NC; daughter, Cheryl Wingate (Scott) of Ellicott City; son, David (Amy) of Glenwood; grandchildren, Lydia Wingate; Jonathan Bandel; and Braden Wingate. She was pre-deceased by her husband, Allan, and grandson, Jacob Bandel.
The family will receive friends from 2 to 5pm on Sunday, September 29, 2024, at Haight Funeral Home & Chapel, Sykesville, MD. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11am on Monday, September 30, 2024, at Glenelg United Methodist Church, 13900 Burntwoods Road, Glenelg, MD.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association. https://act.alz.org/site/Donation
Online condolences may be offered at www.haightfuneralhome.com