Marilyn Glick Glosserman

MARILYN GLICK GLOSSERMAN

1947-2021

Marilyn Glick Glosserman passed away at her Bethesda, MD home the evening of October 1st, surrounded by loved ones. She was 74 years old.

Marilyn was devoted to her family and friends. As a loving wife and mother and loyal, caring friend, she showed everyone in her orbit how to be a better person. A beautiful woman, Marilyn was the epitome of grace, dignity and strength.

Her mantra was, “Love, health, gratitude, peace and hope.”  She radiated these ideals with every dress she wore, every word she said, and every breath she took. And she was immensely grateful for her very full life.  

Born in Chicago, Illinois, to Morde and Betty Glick, her parents moved to Texarkana, TX, when she was two years old. Her family soon grew to include her brothers, Marshall and Howard. 

Marilyn earned her BA from the University of Texas at Austin in 1969. During her last semester of college, she chanced to meet the love of her life, Michael Glosserman of Lockhart, TX, at the UT Law Library.

Marilyn and Michael were married in Dallas in 1971 at Temple Emanu-El, and their ensuing 50 plus year relationship would be a perfect union filled with deep love, devotion, partnership, and a shared commitment to incredibly organized closets and refrigerators.

Shortly after their honeymoon, they drove to Washington, DC where Michael was an attorney at the US Department of Justice. Marilyn found work in the deputy administrator’s office at the newly formed Environmental Protection Agency. In 1972 they relocated to Columbia, MD where their sons Marc and Scott were born. The family finally settled in Bethesda, MD in 1976.

At her home in Bethesda Marilyn began a lifetime of creating beautiful spaces, hosting family, friends, and those new to Washington, and establishing herself as someone to be relied on for food, guidance and succor. Renowned for her generosity and deeply caring spirit, it was impossible to leave the Glosserman house without a treat swaddled in Saran Wrap dated with permanent marker, or a special, personal present.

Marilyn was drawn to design, captivated by history, and enamored with gardens. She leveraged all of those passions by volunteering as a docent at The Corcoran Gallery of Art and as a guide at the Hillwood Museum and Gardens.

Marilyn conveyed her love in how she tried to understand others and always find the good in them. She was empathetic beyond compare. Her gentle kindness came from a place of spiritual strength and philosophical intelligence nurtured over her lifetime. Her decisions were made in her head, but she always led with her heart.

She felt fortunate to own homes outside of Washington where she perfected her mastery of garden design and the decorative arts. Marilyn’s visual acuity was remarkable – she noticed everything. All who knew her marveled at her attention to and understanding of detail.

A consequence of Marilyn’s attention to detail and her desire to always ‘make everything perfect’ was that she felt a need to consider all alternatives before making a decision. Michael often said that if she was picking out a pair of socks, she would want to see all 75 colors. At breakfast one morning, reading a newspaper article in the children’s section explaining football, she asked Michael what position he thought she would play. He responded, ‘quarterback because you’re so visual and would always be able to see the whole field’. Always a silly punster with a lightning-quick wit and reflexive sense of humor, Marilyn responded ‘Oh no. I would get sacked all the time. I could never decide who to pass to’.

A passionate reader, she was a member of a book club for 35 years. Her libraries and the books within are filled with copious notes and astute and studious reflections.

The list of philanthropies she supported was long. Chief among them was Us Against Alzheimer’s, where she was a board member, the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Georgetown Day School and Washington Hebrew Congregation. 

She was preceded in death by her brother Marshall.

Marilyn is survived by her husband Michael, brother Howard Glick, sons Marc Glosserman and Scott Glosserman, daughters-in-law Kristen Glosserman and Macy Raymond Glosserman, grandchildren Austin, Skye, Jaclyn, Geena, Sam and Vivi and many sisters and brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, October 5th, 10:30am at Washington Hebrew Congregation, 3935 Macomb Street NW, Washington, DC 20016 with a private interment to follow.

Marilyn requested that all donations in her honor be made to: Us Against Alzheimer’s