Marlene Catherine Mackey, 86, passed away peacefully on December 5, 2024, in Fort Myers, Florida, with her family by her side holding her hand.

Born on November 7, 1938, in Painesville, Ohio, to Albert Simon Mackey and Nellie Catherine (née Wanska) Mackey, Marlene grew up in Fairport Harbor, Ohio. She was a passionate advocate for education and dedicated her life to nursing and academia. She earned a nursing diploma in 1960 from Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital School of Nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1964 from Case Western Reserve University, a Master of Nursing in 1975 from the University of Pittsburgh, a Primary Care Certificate in 1976 from Case Western Reserve University, and a Ph.D. in 1984 from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Marlene's career took her across the globe. Early on, she taught English in Tehran, Iran, and worked as a private duty nurse at the U.S. Air Force Hospital there. She later served as a labor and delivery nurse at the 97th General Hospital in Frankfurt, Germany. Her time abroad ignited a lifelong love of travel that led her to visit 40 countries and live in China and South America.

She eventually settled in Columbia, South Carolina, where she was a Professor of Nursing at the University of South Carolina for 22 years. She published extensively and received numerous accolades, including being named a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 1995.

Upon retiring, Marlene remained active in her community and continued traveling. In 2019, she moved to a retirement community in Fort Myers, Florida, where she cherished meeting new friends and spending time with family.

Marlene was proud of her Finnish heritage and was a lifetime member of the Finnish Heritage Museum in Fairport Harbor, Ohio. Her interest in her Finnish heritage led to her extensive genealogy research of the Mackey-Wanska family.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Gregory Mackey. She is survived by her favorite sister, Alberta (Peter) Valentini; her favorite sister-in-law, Alberta (Greg) Johnson Mackey; three nieces; three nephews; four great-nieces; three great-nephews; and one great-great-nephew.

Marlene will be forever missed by all her nieces and nephews because of the love and encouragement she always provided. She cared deeply for family. Marlene's frequent visits, travel with family, along with frequent phone calls demonstrated her love and devotion.

Marlene will be laid to rest with family in Painesville, Ohio, following a Celebration of Life in May.

In honor of Marlene's commitment to nursing education, please consider supporting the Mackey-Wanska Finnish Family Women's Health Endowed Fellowship Fund (B11661) at the University of South Carolina. Annual earnings from this fund provide scholarships to women studying nursing. Donations can be made at https://donate.sc.edu. Please designate donations to the Mackey-Wanska Finnish Fund.