Thomas J. Marrie

Mr. Marrie traveled the world multiple times as Corporate Director of Customer Relations for Swagelok Co. and made friends wherever he went. Yet, the beloved patriarch of a large Irish-American family cherished most of all being at home with Carole, his beloved wife of 64 years; their six grown children, 17 grandchildren, five great grandchildren and many pet dogs and cats.

“To know Tommy Marrie is to love him,” his family said in a statement. “He was so kind, so friendly, so positive and full of care for everyone.”

Mr. Marrie was born on July 26, 1934, to Thomas and Winifred Marrie on the near East Side of Cleveland. His parents had immigrated, respectively, from Tourmakeady, County Mayo, and Leenane, County Galway, Ireland. Mr. Marrie was the oldest of the couple’s five children.

Mr. Marrie was a proud 1952 graduate of St. Ignatius High School. When his father passed away when Mr. Marrie was still in his teens, he embodied the Jesuit motto of “Men for Others” by going to work to support his family and to ensure that his four siblings could attend parochial schools up through high school. Throughout his life, Mr. Marrie embraced the Jesuit teachings he learned at St. Ignatius and remained a devout Roman Catholic, reciting the Rosary every day.

It was while working for the railroad in Cleveland as a young man that the two most influential moments in his life occurred. There, he met a fellow ticket seller, the former Carole Neville, and they fell in love. They married on May 26, 1956.

Mr. Marrie also made a positive impression on Fred A. Lennon, founder and chairman of Swagelok Co., who frequently rode the train. One day, he gave Mr. Marrie his phone number and invited him to a job interview. Thus began Mr. Marrie’s 44-year career at the Swagelok Co., which grew into a $1.8 billion fittings and valves company with distribution around the world.

At age 22, Mr. Marrie started in the Swagelok stock room, filling orders, and rose in management to its corporate ranks. He was outgoing, had a strong work ethic and an ever-present smile and twinkle in his eye that endeared him to all. He was always impeccably dressed in a starched white shirt, tie, jacket and matching pocket square. When he returned home from work at night, it was not unusual for that tie to stay firmly knotted until bedtime.

Through his work at Swagelok and his global travel, Mr. Marrie shook hands with presidents and other heads of state and was granted a private audience with a Pope. Mr. Marrie’s home is graced not only with photos of family and friends, but also with photographs of his visits with Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as well as Pope John Paul II.

Mr. Marrie was a man of powerful faith, who grew from being an altar boy to serving as a lector, lay minister and active volunteer at his home parish, St. Francis of Assisi in Gates Mills, Ohio.

Along with his faith, the well-being of his family was central to Mr. Marrie’s life. He and his wife lived for 56 years in the same home in Mayfield Village. It was there that they raised their children and welcomed them back year after year for summer holiday cookouts, birthday festivities and joyful Christmas celebrations.

As a young man, Mr. Marrie had the good fortune to be selected as a “clubhouse boy,” assisting in the locker room and getting to know many of the legendary Cleveland Indians of the late 1940s, as well as a chance encounter with Hall of Famer Ted Williams. His love of sports led him to be a lifelong passionate fan of the Indians and the Cleveland Browns. For more than 40 years, he was an Indians season-ticket holder and attended every home opener, decked out in Indians gear and with his wife at his side.

Mr. Marrie believed in giving back, and in retirement served for more than a dozen years as a Mayfield Village Councilperson, including as President Pro Tem. He volunteered at village Christmas and Easter parties, and chaired several village committees and was awarded the Outstanding Citizen award in 2013. He was a past chairman of the Parent Association at John Carroll University, an active member of the East Side Irish American Club and a longtime member of the Emerald Civic Society.

At Gilmour Academy, he was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1980 to 2015, and served as Chair of the Board from 1989 to 1996. In 2015, he was named an Honorary Life Trustee. He also is a past president of the Gilmour Men’s Club.

Mr. Marrie was so well-respected and had such a big impact on everyone he met because “he listened, he paid attention and deeply cared” about others, his family said. “He took the time to notice you and make you feel special.”

He was known for sending thousands of handwritten notes and cards over the years, lifting up personal milestones and otherwise staying connected to family, friends and colleagues around the world. It was not uncommon for these notes to include one of Mr. Marrie’s trademarks, a crisp two dollar bill. So it was no surprise that his retirement party from the Swagelok Co. attracted not only family and friends, but also dozens of people from around the globe who flew to Cleveland to honor him. Those who attended recall a special moment near the end of the party, when the crowded room erupted in song.

“There’s only one Tommy Marrie,” they sang in tribute to their beloved friend.

In addition to his wife Carole, Mr. Marrie is survived by their six children, Debbie (Dennis Casey), Timmy, Colleen (Garth Grant), Kevin (Rita Rybalt), Sean (Tammy) and Megan (Devin Schlickmann); 17 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, sister Nancy Marrie and sister-in-law Linda Marrie. He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Mary (Jim Laubenthal), and brothers Jack (Marcia), and Jimmy (Linda).

Mass of Christian Burial 11:00 AM Thursday September 10th at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 6850 Mayfield Rd. Gates Mills, OH 44040. For those unable to attend in person, the service will be livestreamed at stfrancisgm.org. Interment Western Reserve Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends at the DiCICCO & SONS FUNERAL HOME, 5975 MAYFIELD RD. MAYFIELD HTS. OH 44124, WEDNESDAY 3:00-7:00 pm. Online guest book and condolences www.diciccoandsonsfh.com

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to The Metanoia Project, PO Box 770792, Cleveland, OH 44107 in support of the homeless and most vulnerable men and women in Cleveland.