Marsha was born on October 28, 1938 as the second child of Kater A and Mary Magdalene Malooley in Terre Haute Indiana.
Her beloved brother Rudolph Sergei was 8 years old at the time of her birth.
Marsha Rose spent her early life in Terre Haute Indiana immersed in the close knit Syrian culture and Middle Eastern community and attended St. George Orthodox Church. She graduated from Wiley High school and then from Indiana State University with a degree from Medical Technology.
In 1955, Marsha met a young Rose Poly Technical Institute mechanical engineering student named John Lee Irvin on a not so “blind” date. As a poor American Farm boy of Scottish and Welsh heritage from Sullivan Indiana, John survived the inquisition of very protective Syrian parents, and began dating Marsha whose parents fell in love with John, a very polite and humble young man.
In July 1959, Marsha and John were married and relocated to the Indianapolis and then Crawfordsville IN where their first son, John Michael, was born in July 1960. Next a daughter, Mary Elizabeth came along in September 1961 and in 1966, Daniel Joseph was born.
By the fall of 1966, their family of five was living in south St. Petersburg and although she was reticent about leaving her widowed mother in Indiana, Marsha discovered that she LOVED the Florida lifestyle. Marsha’s mother soon joined the young family in Florida and bought a home nearby.
In December 1969, a fourth “surprise” child, Michael Andrew, was welcomed into the world.
Marsha had joined the Women’s Club of St. Petersburg and gained recognition as a very meticulous organizer, and skilled fundraiser for the Women’s Club.
Meanwhile, John’s career was advancing along with promotions and increasing travel. Marsha loved the worldwide travel that John’s work life afforded them, and her exposure to new cuisine, artifacts, museums and the beauty of regions of the world that they visited was one of the highlights of Marsha’s life.
At the same time, her own social circles continued to evolve, eventually earning her an honorary selection as “Queen of Hearts” during the annual St. Petersburg Women’s Club Ball. She was an esteemed officer, eventually rising in the ranks to President of the club.
Meanwhile Marsha’s children were growing into adulthood, becoming active with their own friends, attending college and leaving the cozy nest to embark on their own lives.
Marsha and John were blessed with four grandchildren, a tremedous joy of her life, and she loved spending time with Megan, Jake, Joshua and Justin.
As the years progressed, Marsha enjoyed participating in and at times teaching aerobics classes at Bay Vista Community Center, daily walks with her many friends, creating stained glass art, clay pottery and spending time at home and on trips to Indiana, Idaho and even up to Alaska with John.
She loved visits by her family and always told them the following upon departure: “We loved having you and you are welcome to visit anytime.”
Marsha passed peacefully in her sleep on May 23rd, 2023.
She will live eternally in her family’s hearts and is missed deeply.