Marlene Gayle Fire (nee Bable) passed away at her home on January 5th, 2022, after a short illness. Marlene was born on October 18th, 1938, in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. She was the eldest child of Arthur and Irene Bable (nee McKim).
She married Frank Louis Fire, of Struthers, Ohio, on January 17th, 1959. They remained devoted to each other as husband and wife for 61 ½ years, until Frank Fire’s death on May 30th of 2020.
Marlene was the mother of four boys, Frank Jr. (Helen), of Tallmadge, Ohio, Kevin, of Grand Forks, ND, Eric (Julie) of Lewis Center, Ohio, and Christopher (Julie) of Gahanna, Ohio. She was the devoted and loving grandmother of seven grandchildren, whom she spoiled with reckless abandon.
Like those who love lost animals, Marlene loved all the young people who entered her home. Marlene was virtually the surrogate mother of the numerous wayward souls, miscreants, and malefactors who followed her sons home at all hours of the day or night. There was always room in her house for overnight guests and plates at her table for whatever mouths showed up, whether she knew them by name, reputation, or not at all. Her willingness to get out of bed at 2 to 3 AM (or whatever hour the various northeast Ohio drinking establishments closed) to feed multiple somewhat suspicious companions of her sons is, decades later, still the topic of conversation at school reunions.
Marlene became adept at handling two grocery carts at a time, filled to overflowing, in order to limit her trips to Sparkle Market, her favorite grocery store, to only three or four a week. She often repeated in her later years, and clearly believed it to be true, that Sparkle Market in Tallmadge closed due to a lack of sales only after her last son moved out of the area.
Marlene was extremely active in the Akron Jaycee Wives, where she made many lifelong friends. She was also very active in the League of Women Voters and served in numerous leadership positions.
Marlene must have had a lifelong fear of anyone in her presence being hungry. In addition to feeding a sizeable proportion of the late adolescent to young adult male population in Tallmadge, she was a volunteer for over forty years for Mobile Meals. She served many thousands of meals to her friends on her route, and she loved every minute of it.
Marlene spent many enjoyable days at the family cottage on the shores of Lake Erie in Conneaut, Ohio. Being able to walk to the end of the street, holding the hand of the love of her life, and watching the sun set over the lake was all she needed to have had a perfect day. Her last wish was that her ashes be mixed with those of Frank’s, and that they be spread together over the waters of the lake along the shore in Conneaut.
Marlene was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Frank, her sister, Nancy Katherine, and her sister, Ruth Ann. She is survived by her sister, Carol (Clarence) of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, her brother, Arthur (Nancy) of Kittanning, Pennsylvania, numerous nieces and nephews, her four sons, and her seven grandchildren.
In keeping with Marlene’s desire that no one should be hungry, her family asks that, in lieu of remembrances, donations be made to Summit County (Ohio) Mobile Meals and/or the Summit County (Ohio) Food Bank.
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