Memorial

Marley died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Aug. 16, 2023 at nearly 15 1/2 years old. He is preceded in death by his brothers, Izzy and Vinnie, and sister, Lizzy. Marley joined the family after I waited tables all day in my sophomore year of college. My aunt, Danielle, saw an ad in the paper for very reasonably priced puppies. We drove straight to see the puppies with our own eyes after work. Marley was tiny and precious and nibbled us and we were immediately in love, I remember the moment like it was yesterday. I made $198 in tips that day, so I asked my aunt if I could borrow $2 to take home my dream dog, a golden retriever for the low price of $200 (I still owe my aunt that $2). Marley immediately lived up to his name. He was a naughty puppy, in the home, outside, in the car, wherever he was, he was mischievous. I’m fairly certain that all of his extended family members have a “Marley story” about an item that he simply couldn’t help himself and ate, destroyed, or ran with. He played hard, and loved harder. When he was two years old, Marley received the best gift he could ever receive, a brother. Izzy was Marley’s best friend. When Izzy died suddenly in a freak accident, Marley was beyond devastated. That is when his cousin, Vinnie, came to frequently visit him and then spent a couple of months living together, it was soon evident the two could not be separated. Marley was back to doing what he loved best, being a big brother. After college, we settled into building our grown up life. Marley loved to swim, he visited many pools, ponds, lakes, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. He absolutely loved playing fetch with water Frisbees, tennis balls, kong balls, whatever you would throw with him, he would run, and run and run. Marley got the opportunity to be a brother again to sweet Lizzy girl. Marley moved with me through life’s ups and downs. He settled in wherever we lived and always made sure that I was okay. He loved to snuggle in bed with me, and I loved to snuggle him more (I was always big spoon!). Marley tore his ACL when he was 9 years old. This frightened me deeply, and it was at this time, I really started to worry that I might not have my boy much longer. Of course, Marley recovered from surgery on his own terms and even decided to take out his own staples himself! He was an original founding member of the “brown dog crew” that he led with his siblings and cousins. Marley leaves behind his best girls to continue to lead the crew- Shelby, Maggie, Heidi. Marley enjoyed walks, sunsets, sand, snow, vegetables, chicken, and popcorn to name a few. He also loved eating breakfast and dinner and “tap dancing” to tell you! Marley welcomed his human brother, Elliot, in September 2022. This is when I truly saw the inner angel in him shine brighter than ever before. Marley fiercely loved Elliot. He loved to lick his legs and toes and allowed Elliot to tug on any part of him and his hair. In May, Marley watched his last sibling die after a short battle with cancer. After Lizzy’s death, Marley had bouts of being unwell that did resolve over and over again. Until recently, Marley was not able to battle his age, or as I spelled it out, being O-L-D. I never liked to talk about his age in front of him, as he knew how O-L-D he was and he didn’t need to be reminded. Marley was the most loyal man in my life. I have had some of the most wonderful times, and some of the worst times personally and through it all, there was always Marley. I now choose to focus on the positive and how truly fortunate I am that I got to spend so many years with my best friend. To my main man, Marley, I will miss you forever. Rest easy my best boy.

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