Marie Frances Schroeder Coleman, 94, of Annapolis, Maryland, passed away on Friday, October 17, at the Luminis Health Gilchrist Lifecare Institute in Columbia, Maryland.

Born on February 9, 1931, in Wilkes-Barre Township, Pennsylvania, to Maria Margaret (Battle) and Joseph Francis Schroeder, she was the oldest of five children.

She lived with her family in Scranton, Pennsylvania, until her marriage to Edwin Joseph Coleman in 1951. Together, Marie and Ed made their home in New Carrollton, Maryland, where they raised their two children. Marie was a dedicated wife, mother, and homemaker who filled her home—and the lives of her family—with warmth and positivity.

In the 1970s, Marie and Ed moved to Cape St. Claire, Maryland, to be close to the water. She planned and managed all the renovations to their new home, which they whimsically called Bittersweet, with such grace and confidence that the builder once said he wished he could hire her as his foreman.

Marie was known not only for her deep love of family, her caring nature, and her quiet strength, but also for her creative spirit. She drew and painted, wrote poetry that was published in a national anthology, and brought beauty to every corner of her world. She loved decorating, cooking gourmet meals, and designing beautiful gardens and outdoor spaces both at her home in New Carrollton, Maryland and later in Cape St. Claire, Maryland.

Marie loved birdwatching and wildlife and seemed to know the name of every tree, plant, flower, and bird around her. She delighted in caring for the family's pets over the years—cats, dogs, birds, and even a few hamsters and guinea pigs. She gave the family's beloved stray dog, Volka, and several stray cats a cozy home. A voracious reader, she maintained an impressive personal library and was a lifelong learner who never lost her curiosity about the world.

Marie took joy in simple moments and instilled values of resilience, courage, and generosity in her children and grandchildren. She understood the importance of seeing beauty in everyday life and finding ways to make the ordinary special, creating cherished memories and traditions that continue to inspire her family.

Marie is survived by her son, Michael John Coleman; her daughter, Marie Kaddell, and her husband, Samuel Kaddell; her grandchildren, Samantha Kaddell and Joshua Kaddell (and his wife, Kelly Blythe Kaddell); her great-granddaughters, Adaline, Rylee, and Charlie Kaddell; and several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her loving husband, Edwin; her parents, Joseph and Maria Schroeder; her brother, Joseph Schroeder Jr.; and her sisters, Joyce Svadeba, Barbara Bailey, and Helene Beverly Lewandowski.

Marie's memory lives on in the hearts of her family and all whose lives she touched. May she rest in peace.

The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology https://give.birds.cornell.edu/page/87895/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=WEB