Jean Ellen Clark Marlow passed away peacefully on Friday July 24, 2026 at her home in Ashburn, Virginia just 2 days shy of her 98th birthday. Throughout that day she had been surrounded by family and friends. She leaves her daughter Jean Antoinette Marlow (Jamie) Semler and her husband Doug Semler, her two grandchildren, Joey and Grace and her cat Tigger.

Jean Ellen Clark was born on the family dining room table in Staten Island, New York on July 26, 1928. She was one of two children born to Roosevelt Lesure Clark and Jean Antoinette Knevals Clark. She was an incredibly proud member of the Clark, Lesure, Roosevelt, Aspinwall and Crosby Families. They were close and provided support to each other during difficult times. While not able to pursue it, Jean did carry on her Roosevelt cousins’ love and talent for the game of tennis.

Jean grew up on Staten Island where she attended Staten Island Academy. Summers were always fun and spent away in entirety catching endless fluke, flounder and baby blues in the Atlantic off the shore of Oak Beach, NY or Cape Cod, MA. High School years were spent at The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. In 1949 she graduated from Bradford College in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

Jean had always been skilled in art, drawing and creating, as evidenced by a multitude of charcoals, stills and pastels from her Bradford art classes. She attended The Columbia University School of Engineering and Architecture in 1955. Studying architecture was shortened because of a family move to Washington DC. In Washington, Jean became an assistant to an art editor at The National Geographic Magazine, a position she much adored! One weekend when she reluctantly attended a Garden Party with her parents, she met Michael Joseph Marlow. It was love at first sight and smile and they wed in April of 1959. Their love for and devotion to each other was unparalleled. Jean and Michael lived in Washington DC, Towson, Maryland and then Potomac, Maryland where their only daughter Jean Antoinette (Jamie) was born in 1972. The Marlows briefly moved to Pound Ridge, NY from 1979-1981 for Michael’s work at the United Nations. They then headed back to Potomac until moving to Ashburn, Virginia in 2016.

Jean’s true passions included everything beach, anything creative, and all things puppy dog (preferably Cocker Spaniel or Golden Retriever).

Any beach or boat was home … but especially those around Nags Head in the Outer Banks where she could crab, fish, dig for clams, climb over the dunes. walk or swim up and down the shore in that white swim cap. Beaches were made for sun bathing, searching for sea glass and shell treasures, for building most impressive and detailed drip sandcastles ... and of course for sleeping in!

(ANYTHINGN CREATIVE WAS an opportunity). No job or idea was too big, too small or too challenging. SEWING/KNITTINGShe made smocked dresses for young Jamie and friends. She designed, made and painted pottery hot plates and herb markers in her kiln and made endless “doughboy” Christmas ornaments. She also loved to sew and knit. Jean designed and created an Eastertime Frontal at St. Francis Episcopal Church and was always working on a sweater, blanket, scarf or hat for someone. She even invented a plastic mailbox drawer in hopes of it becoming (the next household necessity). - Garden Club, Altar Guild - GARDENING Jean also loved home projects. She adored cooking and gardening; painting the walls, refurnishing furniture, caning chairs, making impressive linen curtains, staining wooden floors, helping Michael make a brick patio and designing and laying ceramic tile dining room floors.

Dogs and animals in general were another true love. As a young woman, she and her most favored black cocker spaniel Bimbo traveled everywhere. After Bimbo, was the golden spaniel Spooky. As Jamie grew up, many animals were welcomed into their home. Along with multiple Golden Retrievers were various appearances of bunny rabbits, parakeets, fish, guinea pigs and stray cats needing homes. Her last Golden Retriever Lolly was with her through the challenge of Michael’s death and after Lolly left her, she adopted her cat Tigger Three.

Jean approached everything she did with happiness, motivation and positivity. Her bright blue eyes were always sparkling, full of love, care and direction (not to mention she had that head of hair that everyone envied until the day she left us). We miss Jean terribly but know that she and Michael are up there waltzing and laughing together with family and many friends ... and as always, everything is Humpty Dumpty Gallio!

A funeral service will be held at St. Francis Episcopal Church 10033 River Road in Potomac, Maryland (on Saturday, January 9, 2027. The service will be held at 10:00 am with a reception immediately following at the Church. Please check this website before the service for any additional details, updates or potential changes).