Obituary of Marian Lois Dowd

The world lost a force of nature Saturday night when our mother, Marian Hines Dowd, passed away in her sleep. What set Mom apart was the selfless way she put her family and friends first, above all else. She was the undisputed matriarch of her clan of five children, eleven grandchildren, three brothers, a ton of great nieces, nephews and cousins, and a series of cats and dogs that caused our veterinarian to say he wanted to come back as one of Marian's pets.Mom wielded the skills of any mother warrior worth her salt who was intent on keeping her kids and grandkids close to her -- lots of warmth, meals that were a culinary achievement, a conduit of family gossip, legendary stubbornness that would melt in a moment if her child needed her, Kissinger-esqe shuttle diplomacy, the true gift of Irish storytelling, an incredible singing voice, and an endless, endless sea of love. We miss her so much.Mom was born in 1932 to Charlie and Pearly Hines in Muscatine, Iowa on the Mississippi River. Mom grew up with family all around her, including her three brothers, Norris, Robert and Paul, who teased her mercilessly. Marian graduated from nursing school and spent her professional life as a registered nurse working with children with mental and physical disabilities. During this time, she worked hard to instill Midwestern values in her five children (Mary, Bob, Mark, Margaret and Liz) because Big M probably knew that somewhere down the line she would have to move them to New Jersey. Her children, their spouses (John, Melanie, Amanda and Tommy), and grandchildren settled down in New Jersey and never left Mom's side. Most of us still call it home. If you ever need to understand all that Mom held dear, spend ten minutes with any one of her eleven grandchildren. These polite but awesome individuals, who range in ages from 2 to 25, are a tribute to the G-Unit and her unbending priority on the ties that bind our family. They are Sarah, Ian, Liam, Chris, Sam, Emily, Olivia, Jesse, Meghan, Hope and Rian.Please join us in celebrating Marian's life on Friday evening, 6:00 8:00 pm at Piscataway Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison https://www.sthuberts.org/tributegifts , where Mom spent time volunteering.