Theresa Margaret Marston

Theresa (Terry) Marston passed away at Fairfax INOVA Hospital at the age of 75 on December 20, 2025. She was born in Atlanta, GA on December 16th 1950 to parents Joseph and Rosemary McCaffrey. In 1968, Terry graduated high school from St. Cecilia Academy in Nashville, TN. After high school, she took numerous nursing classes at St. Mary’s Memorial School of Nursing in Knoxville, TN. Later, she got a B.A. in Communications from George Mason University in Northern Virginia, where she lived most of her adult life.

Terry initially worked in a hospital after high school, but for most of her career, she was employed by the federal government; first at the National Transportation Safety Board, and ultimately with the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). She had a 24-year career with the government that culminated in a position as a Logistics Manager at NAVSEA, supporting shipbuilding and maintenance functions on U.S. Navy ships. Terry had fond memories of the comradery she experienced at NAVSEA.

It was while working for NAVSEA that Terry met her husband, Ralph Marston. They married in September of 1998 and were married for over 27 years when she died. During all of their married life, they resided in Alexandria, VA where Terry was a faithful and loving wife. Ralph misses her greatly.

Terry was very bright, had a clever sense of humor and a quick wit. But she could perhaps best be characterized as an avid lover of animals. Charles Darwin once said “The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man” and this could be no truer of Terry. She had a strong compassion for all creatures, including insects. Whenever a wild animal came into the yard, she quickly arose to watch intently. And if an insect found its way into the house, she would carefully trap it into a paper towel to put it outside without harm. This love of animals was particularly evident in the care and attention that she afforded her cats.

Terry was predeceased by her parents. She leaves behind her husband, Ralph; sisters Mary Gates, JoAnn McCaffrey, and Angela Rosenberg (Marty Rosenberg); nieces Kathy Stringer (John Stringer), Maria Johnson (Victor Johnson), and Beth Wilde (Don Wilde); nephew Michael Gates; and several great nieces and nephews. And let’s not forget her cats, Tommy and Teddy.

Terry attended St. Louis Catholic Church where the family will be holding a Catholic Mass for her at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The Angela and Marty Rosenberg MS STEP UP Endowment for Multiple Sclerosis and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UNC Chapel Hill.