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Official Obituary of

Marcia Jane (Cole) Towne

July 3, 1935 ~ December 7, 2020 (age 85) 85 Years Old

Marcia Towne Obituary

Marcia Jane Towne, 85, of South Bend passed away on Monday, December 7th at her home following a lengthy battle with dementia, surrounded by her loving family. She was born July 3, 1935 in Lakewood, OH to the late Arlene (Esch) and Bradford D. Cole and had lived in the South Bend area most of her life.

On February 28, 1959 in South Bend as Marcia J. Cole she married the love of her life, Larry Towne, who preceded her in death September 18, 1995. She was also preceded in death by her best friend and sister, Nancy Wesolowski. Marcia is survived by her daughter, Beth Towne (Chris Murphy) of Upton, MA; her son, Lance Towne, (Jaime Maitland) of South Bend; three grandchildren, Carson Towne, Samantha Murphy and Ian Murphy; her nieces, Katie Wesolowski, and Martie Coveney; her cousin, Francie DeFreeuw; her dear friend, Anita Rentfrow, and many other cousins and friends lucky enough to have known her.

Before she married, Marcia ventured to California to work as a medical technician in Santa Barbara. Later in life, she would work in the admissions office of Notre Dame Law School, where she made many dear, life-long friends.

It didn't matter if she knew you or not- Marcia was always happy to invite you in for a chat. She made everyone she met feel special and wanted to hear everything about you. She gave brilliant advice and always had an empathetic ear.

Marcia was a self-taught genealogist (one of her many legacies will be how she documented our entire family history), an antique collector and shop-owner, and an avid reader of fiction, history and the news. She loved all animals (no spiders, thanks), and once broke her arm because she thought her cat might like it if she danced for him.

As she got older, and her world shrank due to dementia, all Marcia wanted was to be with her family, friends, her beloved cats, her evening MARtini and the latest news.

A private graveside service will be held at Highland Cemetery. A gathering celebrating Marcia's life will be held next year.

Memorial contributions in Marcia's name may be made to the Center for Hospice Care in Mishawaka (www.cfhcare.org) or the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org) Family and friends may leave email condolences at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.