Marcene Elenor Galkin, affectionately known as Aunt Marcene, Marcie, Mom, Gramma and GG, was a remarkable person who touched the lives of everyone she encountered. Born on a humble farm in the heart of South Dakota, she learned the values of hard work, compassion and community from an early age. At 18, with dreams as vast as the open sky, she left the familiar farm behind and embarked on a journey that eventually took her all the way to Washington, D.C.
In the city, Marcie’s heart expanded even further. She became a beacon of kindness, always ready to lend a hand or offer a listening ear. Whether it was volunteering at the local shelter, organizing food drives or simply sharing a smile with a stranger, Marcie poured her heart into making the world a better place. Her unwavering commitment to helping others knew no bounds. Friends, family and neighbors remember her warm presence — the way she’d bring homemade soup to a sick neighbor, or sit patiently with a troubled neighbor while offering sage advice. She was a hospice volunteer for Queen Anne’s County. She has helped, healed and nurtured numerous people who also became her children. She always smiled at strangers and always said, “I love you.” Marcie believed that love was a verb, and she lived it every day.
Her legacy is woven into the fabric of our family and her friends, a testament to the power of selflessness. Born on Aug. 19, 1934 in Parker, South Dakota, she was the daughter of the late Chris H. Hovaldt and Lillian E. Jenson and died on June 23. Marcie is survived by her loving children, Kathy Angert and her husband, Michael, of Germantown, Robert Galkin and his wife, Arlene, of North Potomac, Laura Vanzandt and her husband, Scott, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Mercedes Kline and her husband, Paul, of Deale, Maryland; 17 grandchildren, Eric Haden, Joey and Andria Terrones, Jason Terrones, Joshua and Mallory Angert, Evan Angert, Trevor Angert, Kyle and Kristin Galkin, Nicholas Galkin, Justin and Adena Cohen, Jonathan Cohen, Allison Cohen, Coral Stanton and Jonathan Shaul, Gil Kline, Maayan Kline, Chloe Vanzandt, and Curtis and Hannah Vanzandt; 12 great-grandchildren, David Sacrey, Alivia Terrones, Amelia Terrones, Adalyn Terrones, Ellie Vanzandt, Malkiel Cohen, Shalom Cohen, Bentzion Cohen, Yehuda Cohen, Aliyahu Cohen, Levi Angert, and Quinn Stanton-Shaul; and numerous nieces, nephews, family and friends. Marcie was preceded in death by her loving husband Stanley Galkin, her late adored son Edward Terrones, and her six siblings.
Marcie was a human resource director and a talented knitter. Her green thumb was legendary. The garden in her backyard was bursting with vibrant blooms just like the farm she grew up on. As the sun sets on Marcie’s journey, we celebrate a life well lived. Her memory will forever bloom in our hearts, reminding us to be kind, to love fiercely, and to sow seeds of compassion wherever we go.