Marcia H. Luce

On August 16th, 2022, Marcia Hachtel Luce died in Wilmington, Delaware. She was 97 years old.

Marcia is survived by her children, Martha Manning and her husband William of Wilmington DE, William Luce, Jr. and his wife Patty of Elizabeth City NC, and Fredrick Luce and his wife Wendy of Hillsborough NC; and grandchildren Nathan Manning of Greenville SC, Benjamin Manning of Charlotte NC, Maggie Manning Pruitt of Cantonsville MD, Emily Manning Forfar of Charlotte NC, Alicia Luce of San Francisco CA, Colleen Luce Fekete of Suffolk VA, William Luce of Savannah GA, Greer Luce of Hillsborough NJ, and Ailsa Luce of Rochester MN. She is also survived by 14 great-grandchildren, plus twin great-grandchildren who are due in January 2023. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband William (Bill), her sister Catherine Hachtel Gosling, and her nephew Leigh Gosling.

Marcia was born in June of 1925, in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio to Frederick and Lucile Hachtel. She graduated from Cuyahoga Falls High School in 1943 and went on to attend Bowling Green State University where she graduated in 1947 with a degree in Sociology. She later attended Kent State University where she received a master’s degree in Education.

Marcia married Bill in 1947. They were high school sweethearts. They welcomed Martha in 1950, William Jr. in 1951, and Fredrick in 1955. Marcia was a devoted mother/homemaker, taught nursery school, and later in life taught kindergarten at Evamere Elementary School in Hudson, Ohio for 11 years. She was also an active member of First Congregational Church of Hudson where she was a deaconess, a member of the choir, and taught the Friends Adult Class as well.

Marcia was a very loving mother and grandmother. She was a joyful, very caring woman. She believed in “eating dessert first.” And she prepared her own “final instructions” so that we wouldn’t have to worry about what to do. Her instructions were to have “a service at church…then it’s time to party!”

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.
She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.
Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” Proverbs 31:25-29 (NLT)