Marie Louise Barnhart

Marie Louise Barnhart, age 96, of Lanham, MD, a loving mother of 6, peacefully left this earthly plane to ascend to her creator on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 in the privacy of her home with loved ones by her side.

Marie was born Dec 14th, 1925 in Washington, DC to the late Robert and Louise Rolle. She was the oldest of her two twin sisters, Annette Edna & Dorothy Katherine, that preceded her in death.

Marie graduated from high school in a black out during World War II in June 1943. After graduating, she went to night school to study office machines in order to work at the American Association of University of Women in July 1943, a non-profit organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education & research.

After praying and having a Novena for a man to come into her life with all the loving characteristics that she reflected on, Marie met Frank. He walked into her bowling alley just a few months later and parked a kiss on her lips and said "this is it"! There at St. Matthews Bowling Alley in Washington, DC she met her future husband in 1949. Marie and Frank were married in May of 1950 after 6 months of courtship, a marriage that would last 61 happy years until Frank’s passing in 2011.

Marie was a devoted homemaker and known for her strong faith, incredible memory, and beautiful smile, and she was a woman who dedicated her life to her children with unconditional love. She was an avid sports fan of all Washington teams and knew names and stats of players of each team, and enjoyed her Corona while watching the games. She also loved going to Ocean City every year, a tradition she held since her children were small.

Her joy later in life was simply getting her hair done, eating dinner at her favorite restaurants on the water, her sweet fur-baby cats, her favorite soap operas, and most of all, spending time with her family & grandchildren either in person or chatting with them on the phone.

Marie was full of pep, spunk, and sassiness even into her senior years. She was never afraid to speak her mind, and was always there to talk about anything. She never failed to entertain and was loved dearly by everyone who met her.

Having walked the earth just 4 years shy of an entire century, Marie lived through quite a timeline. She was 5 years old during The Great Depression, 6 when the Empire State Building finished construction, and 14 at the beginning of the second World War. She witnessed the birth of the Cold War in her 20s, the Vietnam War in her 30s, and mankind’s first steps on the moon when she was 44. Marie’s lifetime has played host to a whirlwind of progress and experiences—from the aids epidemic to the covid pandemic, from the civil rights movement to an African American being elected leader of the free world, from the first ever television broadcast when she was 14 years old all the way to the dawn of the digital age with wireless internet and the rise of the iPhone in her 80s and 90s.

Marie is survived by her 4 children: Frank Peters Barnhart, Gloria Marie Barnhart, David Hall Barnhart, and Katherine Louise Vernet (Randy), along with 5 grandchildren: James Daniel Meade, Thomas Michael Barnhart, Kara Michelle Barnhart, Jason Randolph Vernet (Havila), and Justin Edward Vernet. She is also survived by her 2 nephews, Adrion Howell and Allen Day, as well as her great grandchild, Rylan Barnhart.

She will be laid to rest with her beloved husband Frank Kennerd Barnhart and son’s Edward Jason Barnhart and Robert Rolle Barnhart, along with her granddaughter Julie Marie Meade.

A visitation for Marie will be held Wednesday, March 2, 2022 from 12:30-1:30 pm at Fort Lincoln Funeral Home in Hyattsville, MD. Her funeral service will occur Wednesday March 2, 2022 from 1:30-2:30 at Fort Lincoln Home as well. A graveside committal will immediately follow.

Marie Louise Barnhart—mother, wife, friend, grandma, MeMaw, great grandma, aunt, neighbor, shining light who planted the seeds of so many who will follow you—may your soul rest in eternal peace, wrapped in the loving glow of all those you touched in this world.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.fort-lincoln.com for the Barnhart family.