Marian M Zerishnek

​Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Marian attended Saint Benedict’s Academy, an all-girls Catholic high school. As a young woman in the 1940s, she met her husband and went on to have three beautiful children, whom she raised with grit, fierce love, and absolute determination.

​Marian loved bingo, shopping, and chit-chatting on the phone. Back in Pennsylvania, she survived blizzards, heat waves, and rush-hour traffic—strictly as the "passenger princess."

​In 2001, she moved to Cape Coral, Florida, where she continued her favorite hobbies of bingo, shopping, and phone chats. Her new Florida survival skills included riding out hurricanes… and pondering if Kohl’s would be open immediately after a catastrophic Category 4 storm. She retained her title as ultimate passenger princess, navigating between her favorite stores with "maybe an extra stop for lunch," and maybe three more extra stores, effortlessly turning a quick two-hour trip into a six-hour marathon.

​Her life was rich and vibrant, packed with overseas travels, cruises, day trips, and a passion for celebrating all of life’s moments, big and small.

​As a woman who stepped gracefully into a new millennium, Marian embraced modern technology. She learned to use computers, Facebook, smart phones, and FarmVille (good Lord). She also discovered a love for gel nails, which—naturally—extended those shopping trips even further. She remembered 1950s slang and embraced modern shorthand, eventually learning what "LOL" actually meant after years of assuming it stood for "Lots of Love." And of course she retained, "God willing and the creek don't rise" when ending a phone conversation.

​She cheered on and learned about IVF, long distance running, theater, amusement parks, football, high school band, youth sports, and Common Core math—all because she was deeply, lovingly involved in the lives of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

​Marian was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Andy; her son, David; her siblings, Loretta, Dorothy, and Charles; her son-in-law, Keith; and her great-grandson, Alexander (Natalie).

​She leaves behind her loving daughters, Bethie and Jan (Mitch); her favorite chit-chatter and niece, Ruthie; and her dear friends, Glenn and Jill Jones.

​Now, let’s talk about her absolute greatest joys: her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.

​From her son David, she leaves behind: Michael, Stuart, and Euan.

​From her daughter Beth, she leaves behind: Nicole, Dana (Tommy), Andrea (Jacoah), and Courtney (Rebekah).

​From her daughter Jan, she leaves behind: Emily (Paul), Seth (Audrey), and Mark.

​And that’s just the grandchildren! Marian also leaves behind 9 great-grandchildren (with one more on the way): Brittany, Samuel, Jacob, Benjamin, Sawyer, Noah, Mariah, Alyssa, Navy, and granddaughter Emily's baby, who she was excitedly waiting on the arrival. And of course, 3 great-great-grandchildren: Autumn, Landon, and Levi.

​If you ever asked her—as she sat happily in the middle of her gloriously chaotic, ever-growing family—what she thought of it all, she would just smile and say, "I started all of this."

​Ask her family and friends today what they think of her, and you’ll hear a million stories of love, laughter, and an unforgettable legacy.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 - 7:00 PM, Monday, July 27, 2026 at Coral Ridge Funeral Home, 950 Chiquita Blvd. S, Cape Coral, FL 33991.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11:00 AM, Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church, 1922 SW 20th Avenue, Cape Coral, FL 33991. Burial will follow inside of the Memory III Mausoleum at Coral Ridge Cemetery.

​In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Gulf Coast Humane Society in loving memorial of Marian M. Zerishnek.