Maria "Marianne" Anna Bucich

Maria Anna “Marianne” Bucich, of Palm Coast, Florida, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on March 7, 2025, at Tuscan Gardens of Palm Coast. She was born on June 7, 1934, in the Bavarian village of Kleineibstadt, Germany, to the late Maria Reinhold and Roman Schmitt. While her childhood was marred by the Second World War, her parents provided her with much love and a nurturing environment. Marianne was always surrounded by pets, especially dachshunds who were either at her side or on her lap.

In 1953, at the age of 19, Marianne emigrated from Germany to the United States, settling in New York City to join her older brothers who had emigrated several years earlier in the aftermath of World War II. In 1955, she met her future husband and the love of her life, Vittorio “Victor” Bucich, and the two married on May 5, 1957. Together, they welcomed their daughter, Margaret, in March 1958. Purchasing their first home in 1960, they spent the next 25 years renovating and decorating every inch of the home and yard, taking immense pride in their manicured hedges, hanging flower baskets, grape vines, and annual vegetable garden. All the neighbors shared in the annual harvests! On weekends in the summer, Jones Beach was the gathering place for the extended family of brothers, in-laws, and cousins. Marianne always brought her highly desired, freshly baked Gesundheitskuchen, Apfelkuchen or Pflammenkuchen for everyone to enjoy.

In anticipation of retirement, in 1986, Marianne and Victor moved to North Potomac, Maryland, where they enjoyed many happy years together living near their daughter and son-in-law, Margaret and David. They devoted the same amount of energy into their new home, replicating the gardens and making their home a welcoming place for their visiting relatives and friends. They celebrated two major wedding anniversaries with trips to the Hawaiian Islands and several more trips back to Europe to visit relatives and friends. The two were inseparable and did everything together. After the passing of her beloved husband of 55 Years on April 30, 2012, Marianne faced great difficulty adjusting to life without him. In 2013, she returned to Germany and settled in the Bavarian town of Bad Koenigshofen, where she reconnected with family and old friends.

In 2022, Marianne returned to the United States to live with Margaret and David, in Palm Coast. However, feeling the need to be surrounded by "folks her own age," she moved to Tuscan Gardens of Palm Coast in August 2023, where she thrived in her own apartment and made many wonderful new friends.

Marianne loved to be with family and friends – a true extrovert, she enjoyed sharing stories of her life and provide cooking and baking advice. She set exacting standards for herself and others, striving for perfection in all she did. She loved to travel and spent cherished time in both Europe and Hawaii. Above all, she will be remembered for her deep love and unwavering devotion to her family, especially her late husband, Victor.

Maria was preceded in death by her husband, Vittorio Bucich, in 2012, and her brothers, Rudy Reinhold, who passed in April 2015, and Manfred Reinhold, who passed in November 2024.

She is survived by her daughter, Margaret, and her husband David Colon, along with many loving relatives and friends.

There are no words that can express how blessed and grateful we are for the love and kindness provided to Maria during these last weeks – the many new friends, the entire staff at Tuscan Gardens and the Gentiva care team will always be in our hearts. In lieu of flowers, donations in Maria’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

A celebration of Maria’s life will be announced and held in late spring 2025.