Marchman, Marshall Moore
On Friday, October 5 Marshall Moore Marchman was released from the debilitating bondage of ALS, secure in God’s love brought to her throughout her struggle by a wonderful support group of friends and family.
Marshall was born Elizabeth Marshall Moore on December 7, 1943 in Oxford, NC to June and Robert Moore of Clarksville, VA, whose other daughter, Jennifer, survives her in Lynchburg, VA. Known to classmates at Bluestone High School near Chase City, VA as Betty Marshall, she dropped the use of her first name after entering Meredith College in Raleigh, NC in the fall of 1962. In the second semester of her freshman year she wrote home that she had met a “nice boy” named Jim Marchman who was a junior at NC State, and on June 5, 1966, just after her graduation from Meredith with majors in Religion and Education, she changed her name again to Marshall Moore Marchman.
While Jim finished his Ph.D. work at NC State, Marshall taught sixth grade in Garner, NC just outside of Raleigh, and in the summer of 1968 they moved to Blacksburg where Jim had accepted a faculty position at Virginia Tech. In Blacksburg, Marshall taught sixth grade at Margaret Beeks Elementary School until the couple adopted two wonderful infant daughters, Crystal and Amy, in June 1972. Several years later after the twins began public school, Marshall returned to teaching, first as a substitute and later at Margaret Beeks as a Library or Media Aide, a position she enjoyed until her retirement in 2010.
Marshall was also active in several roles at Blacksburg Baptist Church, including using her musical talents playing piano for a children’s choir and playing in the church bell choir. As a teenager she had played piano and organ in several churches in her hometown. At one time she also played piano for a weekly bible study gathering at Warm Hearth sponsored by the Blacksburg Methodist Church.
Marshall loved traveling all over the world with her husband and daughters and often with other very dear friends, and her active roles in the Virginia Tech Women’s Club over the years provided her with countless hours of enjoyable activities with hundreds of women in the Blacksburg area.
In the time since her May 2017 diagnosis with ALS, Marshall has been surrounded by the love of her many friends and especially by the unconditional love and care given by the members of her Sunday School class and others in her church and neighborhood who contributed their time and cooking talents to give her much needed companionship, conversation, and nourishment, and who gave her life meaning over these last months. Many of these same wonderful friends had helped Marshall and Jim as they struggled with the shock of daughter Amy”s tragic death in June 1989. She also was delighted by the love shown by a group of her Meredith classmates who gave up their annual gathering at the beach to be with her in Blacksburg on a cold January weekend. The family also thanks the wonderful caregivers at Amedisys Hospice who made her final months with us so fulfilling.
Left behind with both grief and wonderful memories of life with an always loving wife, mother, and grandmother are husband Jim, daughter Crystal Sigmon of Raleigh, NC, son-in-law Brian Sigmon, and delightful grandsons Jonothan and James Sigmon. Marshall’s love will be with us all until we meet again.
Jim and Crystal will receive visitors at the McCoy Funeral Home in Blacksburg from 4 to 6 pm on Saturday, October 13. A Celebration of Love for Marshall will be held at Blacksburg Baptist Church at 2 pm on Sunday, October 14 with a reception following the service prior to a short graveside service later in the afternoon.
Those wishing to remember Marshall in a meaningful and lasting way are encouraged to donate to the Marshall Moore Marchman Scholarship Endowment at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg, VA.