Marianne Hammel

Marianne Hammel, 84, of Sterling, VA passed away peacefully at the Adler Center in Aldie, VA on March 20, 2024, with Larry, her husband of 64 years at her side.

She was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1940 to Max and Dorothy Kunis. The stories she would tell from her childhood painted a picture of a lot of good-natured mischief with her brother Bill. One of her favorite stories was of her and her brother attempting to make a swimming pool on their front porch which to their surprise also created a pool inside the house.

Marianne met the love of her life, Larry, in 1956 at a church dance in Huntington, NY. Months later, Larry asked Marianne if she would accompany him to pick up a block of ice for the dance and so began a lifetime romance. While Larry was in graduate school, Marianne would mail him chocolate chip cookies making sure to insure the package. After two years of dating, they were married in September 1959.

Marianne leaves behind Larry, her husband, four children: Susan (Alan) Altschuler, Chris (Rebecca) Hammel, Patti (Mike) Goodnow, and Laurianne Schaefer. She is survived by eight grandchildren; Zachary (Momina) and Erin Altschuler; Christopher and Kayla Hammel; Alexandra and Charlotte Goodnow; and Meghan and Donny Schaefer and one great-grandchild, Parker Lawrence Hammel.

As a mother, she made summers especially fun, taking her children to the beaches of Long Island. Marianne always provided her children and grandchildren with opportunities to use their imaginations. One of the favorites that both generations recall is how she would take out the Fisher Price “little people” and school bus and help them set up the “bus stops” around the house. Baking cookies with Marianne was a favorite activity enjoyed by all generations. Within the family, Marianne was famous for her chocolate chip cookies where the first stop for many as they walked in the house was the cookie jar. While Marianne enjoyed travelling, her favorite place to be was at home with family. She made each family member feel special and made a point in creating memories unique to each.

After raising her four children, Marianne went to nursing school and became an RN at the age of 52. She worked at hospitals in Rockville Center, NY and Loudoun, VA.

Marianne always had a soft spot for cats. A stray cat would start out with a heating pad in a box outside the front door to being brought inside at nighttime to stay in the bathroom and then eventually become a full-fledged family member.

Marianne was a Eucharistic Minister, Lector, and catechist in several parishes where her husband served as a Roman Catholic Deacon.

Marianne was preceded in death by her parents, brother and great grandchild, Nathan Christopher Hammel.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Francis de Sales in Purcellville, VA on Thursday, April 11th at 11AM. Since Marianne’s husband serves in two dioceses, a second celebration will be held at Our Lady of Grace in Romney, WV, on Friday, April 12th at 11AM.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Adler Center for Inpatient Care (Loudoun County) @ CapitalCaring.org.