Ann Allaire Marvel, had exquisite taste
It is with a very heavy heart that I announce the passing of my mother, Ann “Muffie” Allaire Marvel. She was born March 7, 1945, in St Louis, Mo., along with her twin brother, Hugh “Luke” Marvel. No one remembers who was born first but all agree it had to be Mom.
Muffie decided that Sept. 7, 2024, at her little yellow cottage in Bethany Beach, was the time to peacefully go be with my brother Franklin Alexander Lehman, her parents, Hugh Marvel and Elizabeth Collier Hall; and her brother Luke. She was 79.
Most who knew Mom, knew her passion and keen eye for design and the arts. She appreciated natural beauty and captured that beauty with her ever-present camera. Her collection of photos documented the lives of those whom she held dear to her heart. I have spent hours sifting through old photos. I only have ten more boxes to go through. Don’t think there isn’t a picture of you in those boxes, in wide wale corduroys from the ‘80s.
A survivor, Muffie tolerated two husbands, beat breast cancer, and the loss of a child. She chose animals over any human and always protected the underdog. How many times did she stop traffic to rescue a goose and her goslings, or dumpster dive to save kittens or a family of raccoons? Too many to count. One raccoon still stops by nightly for snacks and conversation.
She had exquisite taste, and the world has lost one of the true experts in picking paint colors. Farrow and Ball will notice a drop in sales. She was an avid reader and lover of books. There was always a new book on her list.
She had a passion for politics, was a proud Democrat, a rabid Eagles fan, and a lover of the game of golf. Saltwater was the cure for everything, in my mother’s opinion, and the ocean was a good friend. She was a fantastic fisherwoman, spending many hours a day on the dock and out at sea.
She will be remembered often, and her photography will live on forever. She leaves behind two sisters, Sophie Amanda Marvel and Melinda Marvel Martin; her nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and -nephews; and her grandchildren, Carolina “Khaki” Kinsey and Collier “Ketch” Kinsey will treasure memories of their Gigi. My husband Derrick and I, Penelope Kinsey, will always remember Mom asking us all, “Why be average?”
A Celebration of Life will take place at a later date. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Muffie’s memory can be to Humane Animal Partners, humaneanimalpartners.org; or Philadelphia Eagles Autism Foundation, philadelphiaeagles.com/eaglesautismfoundation.
Visit Muffie’s Life Memorial webpage at parsellfuneralhomes.com.
