Marilee Keithley Roche

Marilee Keithley Roche—lifelong educator, beloved matriarch, and delightful friend—passed away at home in Arnold, Maryland, on September 19, 2026. An indomitable force, Marilee will be remembered as a passionate reader, provocative conversationalist, and absolute champion of everyone she adored. She was 77 years old and maintained homes in Maryland and Naples, Florida.

Born May 25, 1949, near Los Angeles to the late Leo and Mary Ann Keithley, her identity as a California native remained intact through eastward moves, including stops in Illinois and Ohio. Notable was her affinity for avocado toast decades before it was popularized nationwide.

Marilee was recently described as a “mother, teacher, friend, leader, intellect, wise counselor, party animal, and all around magnificent person.” All these and more are true. She married the love of her life forty years ago, fusing their families through shared adventures and gourmet meals. “Mother” may be her most renowned role, with two children by birth, three more by marriage, and countless others through generosity of spirit.

Her legacy as an educator extended beyond the high school English curriculums at West Holmes (in Millersburg, Ohio) and Walt Whitman (in Bethesda, Maryland). She was a wise, supportive counselor for those in need, a prom planner extraordinaire, a mentor to young staff, and a cherished colleague and friend. An avid reader with an unrivaled Kindle library, she shared her love of books with friends and family. A tireless teacher at home, she formed a competitive book club to spark a passion for literature in her grandchildren.

Beloved grandmother doesn’t begin to capture the magic that was Mimi. Self-declared “Queen,” she dispatched her grandkids on missions, delighted them with a lively rendition of patty cake, sent them swooshing down ski slopes in Colorado, introduced them in cousin cohorts to her favorite place (Jackson Hole, Wyoming), and gathered them regularly to uphold traditions and celebrate every accomplishment large and small.

When it came to parties, she was the theme queen, consummate hostess, and social calendar influencer, according to her closest friend group. Known by the portmanteau, Wooburg, and represented by the flamingo, these friends supported each other through parenting and grandparenting, careers and retirements, and every phase of life. Last March, all fourteen members cruised the Caribbean Sea in luxury fashion on the latest of many amazing trips together. The love of her friends and family helped Marilee long outlast her projected prognosis, and when she transitioned from this world, on her own terms in her own time, she did so with gratitude and grace.

Marilee is survived by her husband, Patrick Roche; her five children and their spouses: Matt Voorhees (Washington, DC), Trish and Todd Leleux (Alexandria, LA), Daphne and Rusty O’Brien (Olney, MD), Jeff and Krista Roche (McHenry, MD), and Trent Roche and Kari Hicks (Alexandria, VA); and eleven grandchildren: Ashlyn, Evan, Lindsay, Finn, Cason, Grady, Brice, Shane, Nick, Keegan, and Kat.

Please join the family in honoring her life by raising a cosmo with your friends, reading a book, or creating moments of joy with the children in your life.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm on October 3rd at John M. Taylor Funeral Home, 147 Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis. Family and friends are invited to visit from 12:30 pm until the service. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Holmes County Foundation - Marilee and Patrick Roche Scholarship, 114 North Clay Street, Millersburg, OH 44654.