Marina L. Mann

Marina Louise Mann, 79, beloved wife, mother, sister, step-mother, grandmother, step-grandmother, and aunt, was called to her eternal resting place on December 17, 2015, after a four-year struggle with complications following a debilitating stroke. Her strength of character, her generosity, her kindness, and her love and compassion for others shined as a beacon to those around her. Her children and grandchildren were her greatest joy.

Marina was preceded in death by her father, Paul Cassinari, of Milan, Italy; her mother, Emilie Cassinari, of Nice, France; her husband, William A. Mann (Ret USN) of Colmesneil, TX; her brother-in-law, Dwight F. Davis III, of Southampton, NY; and her stepdaughter, Julia Pardoe, of Chevy Chase, MD.

Marina was born on July 16, 1936, in Marseilles, France, named Marie-Louise Cassinari, and raised in the South of France with her parents who owned many small businesses, including a restaurant named Chez Marina, in the town of Montaroux, in the Provence region. From ages four to seven, Marina lived with her parents in their own hotel in Nice, which was requisitioned for use first by the German Army and later by the American Army, as their Headquarters. Even though Marina and her family survived this period of time, she grew to be a fearless, determined and resilient woman. She lived by the motto: “I do the best I can, with what I have.”

Marina remained culturally French at her core even though she became a U.S. citizen and a very proud American. She was confident and enigmatic and shared very little about her personal life, preferring to be active and focused on getting things done. She liked helping people and giving advice about how to do things better. Her motto was, "I may be wrong, but never in doubt."

Marina was an accomplished concert-level pianist. She progressed with remarkable speed through a repertoire of classical training at an early age and began to perform at age 16. She won first place (Prix D´Honneur, Concours International Leopold Bellan 1954) in Paris. Marina was married to an American naval officer, Robert W. Oakes, of Philadelphia, PA from 1956-1979. As a military wife, Marina lived in Virginia and Maryland and was deployed to Europe three times, living in Bremerhaven, Germany; Istanbul, Turkey; and Yorkshire, England. Marina and Robert had three children.

Marina had two successful careers teaching private piano lessons and as a real estate agent for Merrill Lynch. She was well-known as a piano teacher and taught many private students, several of whom went on to study piano at Juilliard and Carnegie-Mellon. Marina had three unyielding passions: cooking, duplicate bridge and politics. Her passion for cooking was apparent to anyone who knew her or came to her home. It was her pleasure to cook good food and entertain her friends and family. Marina’s sumptuous Thanksgiving dinners was the piece de resistance every year. She loved this holiday because it brought together what the French consider most important - family and food.

As a duplicate bridge player, Marina attained the level of Grand Life Master, having reached 10,000 points. She wanted to be the best and took the game very seriously. She studied theory, learned "ACOL" and was brilliant at counting cards that were played, interpreting the moves of the opposition, and mastering complex strategies. Many of her closest friends were bridge partners and she was highly respected in the bridge world. She was a member of the ACBL Bridge Clubs of Maryland and played in Laurel, MD from 1966 to 1976 and in Montgomery County at several clubs, including; Rockville, Silver Spring, Potomac and Chevy Case, respectively.

Marina was highly involved with politics and was a long-standing member of the Republican Party. She volunteered in many capacities, including precinct chair and election judge. To recognize Marina's dedication, she was invited as an honored volunteer to a presidential luncheon with George W. Bush, in Washington, D.C. Marina married attorney William Aden Mann(Ret Lt Cmdr) in 1983. They resided in Potomac, Maryland and Gonzales, Texas and were married for 18 years. In Texas, Marina and Bill owned and operated the KTCI radio station and were involved with he expansion of the Gonzales Community Health Center. Marina served on the board of directors for five years. She also supported the startup of a new local non-denominational church. Marina's house caught on fire in 2008 and she moved to New Braunfels, TX, in 2009, where she lived until her stroke in December, 2011. She was an active member of the ACBL Bridge Club of few Braunfels and San Antonio, TX. Once in a lifetime someone like Marina comes along and blesses us with her love and her life. She showed us how to bear defeats and losses and not be intimidated or slowed by them. She was who she was. She was the best of us and the strongest of us and she will be

missed here, as there will never be another like her. Marina will live in our hearts forever.

Survivors include her three children, Michael Oakes (Suzanne Y. Siguenza)of Silver Spring, MD; Susie de Montigny of Boulder, CO; Steven Oakes (Bia Barros-Oakes) of Austin, TX, a sister, Ann-Marie Davis of New York, NY; two granddaughters, Jacqueline Oakes of Austin, TX, Chonzie de Montigny of Boulder, CO; and two great-granddaughters, Olivia Flowers and Janna Oakes of Austin, TX, a nephew, Christophe Davis of New York, NY; two step-children, John Mann of Hume, VA; Mary Mann of Horseshoe Bay, TX; and eight step-grandchildren; Mary Catherine Jones and Caroline Carleton-Woodward, both of Shelburne, VT; William Carleton of Purcellville, VA, Susannah Grace Carleton of Nederland, CO, Aden and Brice Kelly of Austin, TX, Nate Mann of Butte, MO, and Nell Mann of Warrenton, VA. A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 9th at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home in Pflugerville, Texas.