Marilyn "Merle" (Dempsey) McGill

On November 19, 2023, amidst crisp and clear weather in the last bloom of autumn, Marilyn Louise McGill passed away in her home in North Falmouth, Massachusetts. Born on May 18,1946 to Edward and Edna Louise Dempsey in Brooklyn, New York, where her father was stationed with the U.S. Army at the time, Marilyn would be the first of five Dempsey children.

Alongside her two brothers, Bill and Jack, and her two sisters, Trish and Catherine, Marilyn spent her formative years in Annapolis, Maryland, where she attended St. Mary’s Catholic School. She showed strong academic prowess as a student, earning entry into the National Honor Society, while also pursuing an array of extracurricular activities ranging from student government to cheerleading and the Glee Club. Along the way, she tested the boundaries of her mother’s devout faith through several memorable episodes of youthful mischief and her early – and lasting – enthusiasm for Elvis Presley and the era of Rock n’ Roll.

Following high school, Marilyn proudly attended the College of New Rochelle, where she prepared for a career in social work, developed a series of lifelong friends, and attracted the affectionate nickname “Merle” – a nickname that would stick and gain widespread adoption amongst family and friends. Soon after she returned to her Brooklyn roots to start a career, she attracted affections of a different sort from a young Bronx native named Kevin McGill.

Brooklyn Heights formed the backdrop for the whirlwind courtship and romance that followed, with the young couple eventually traveling to Annapolis to be married at a packed St. Mary’s Church on August 29, 1970. Years later, the circle of Merle’s life would lead back to her old Brooklyn neighborhood, where three of her grandchildren spent the early stages of their own lives.

In the interim, the young married couple settled down in Pelham, New York, where they raised all three of their children and Merle found her true calling in life as a mother. In her role as matriarch, she had a singsong reply for every gripe, a “post-it” note for every activity, and a sly gaze for every occasion. Merle’s life revolved around family at every stage but, in the end, her life was defined by the selfless contributions and sacrifices of a mother that deeply loved her children and grandchildren.

Blessed with the gift of mercy, Merle had a particular soft spot for the elderly, disabled populations, and rescue dogs (including her own). Before her own mobility became compromised by a series of health setbacks, she especially enjoyed visiting with the elderly through “Meals on Wheels.” For reasons easy to observe but difficult to describe, Merle felt a special kinship with vulnerable people and mistreated animals, and the feeling was very much mutual. In 77 years of life, she never made an enemy, leaving only a legacy of love and friendship in her wake.

In the later stages of her life, she felt most at home amongst people of hearty stock and quiet faith in New England, choosing to spend her golden years in the Cape Cod home that harbored decades of joyful memories for her and her family. Despite her tender heart, Merle had an intrinsic toughness and grit that belied her physical stature, and she remained fiercely independent to the end, resisting all entreaties for living assistance and relying on her passions for reading and bridge to help pass the harsh winters. Fittingly, as her own health declined, her friends and neighbors in Nyes Neck showed her the same kindness that she had shown so many others, frequently taking time to visit with her and ensuring she stayed connected to her community.

The world will never know another like the one and only Merle, and she will be greatly missed. Merle is survived by her four siblings, her ex-husband Kevin, their three children (Matthew, David, and Maura), and their six grandchildren (Calla, Ryan, Addy, Dempsey, Eden, and Oisin).

Merle’s family will receive visitors on Friday, December 8, 2023 from 2:00pm – 4:00pm and 6:00pm – 8:00pm at John M. Taylor Funeral Home, located at 147 Duke of Gloucester St, Annapolis, MD 21401. In the great Irish tradition, a celebration of Merle’s life is highly likely to carry over to a local establishment.

A funeral service will be hosted at St. Mary’s Church on Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 10:30am, with burial to follow. In lieu of sending flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation in Merle’s honor to Meals on Wheels (https://www.massmealsonwheels.org) or the MSPCA Cape Cod Adoption Center (https://www.mspca.org/adoption-centers/cape-cod-adoption-center).