Michael Barry Marshall

He was born in Fort Worth, Texas, to Hugh Mansfield Marshall and Dixie Huffor Marshall. He graduated from Polytechnic High School in Fort Worth in 1956, and from Texas Christian University in 1966 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech and Communication. From his time in Ft. Worth, family members, who included his cherished sister Sandy, would often share stories of his antics and his wonderful sense of humor, a quality that remained with him throughout his life and brought laughter to those around him.

Between high school and college, he served in the United States Army through the radio broadcast system of the military, the Armed Forces Network. He performed those duties in Germany from 1962-1964 with a final stop in Berlin, where he also met his wife Adalgisa De Zordo, the secretary and interpreter for an officer at the Army headquarters there. Together, they shared 57 years of marriage, building a life centered on unwavering devotion to their Catholic faith and to their family.

For much of his adult life, he worked two jobs, one of which was as a radio disk jockey. Following his military service, he started this career at the station KFJZ in Dallas, and continued at KULF, KPRC, and KQUE in Houston. Throughout his life, he used his voice in the service of others. Whether he was behind a microphone or speaking personally to someone, he had a gift for making people feel welcome and valued. He brought happiness to countless people through his kind actions, his love of life, and the knowledge of interesting things that he shared with everyone around him, as well as the great music that he played for the public and at home.

Following his retirement, through the organization Sight Into Sound (formerly Taping for the Blind), he volunteered weekly by reading the Houston Chronicle for the visually impaired, while also creating and hosting his own music program, Senior Notes. Sight Into Sound’s mission was one that he deeply believed in and faithfully supported; he hosted his show even as his health declined, with the last one recorded just two weeks before his passing.

Outside of work, he loved traveling with his wife and family, especially to Europe. His great love was the town of Brunico and the surrounding areas of the Italian Alps, where Adalgisa grew up. Some of the happiest days of his life were spent there, starting with his wedding in December of 1968, and later during the long summers after he retired. With family members or on his own, he enjoyed going to the bakery, to the library, or to the bandstand to listen to music, and going on walks in the beautiful mountains and visiting other towns and the many family friends that he and Adalgisa had there.

Back in Houston, his passion for Italy continued. He and Adalgisa became members of the Italy in America club in 1978, and at the Italian Cultural and Community Center, from its founding in 1988, he volunteered for many activities and served as master of ceremonies and lector at the monthly Mass.

He and Adalgisa were also longtime parishioners at St. Francis De Sales, where he served as lector and participated in the community in various roles. One of the most memorable of these occurred in the summer of 1982, when he starred in the parish musical, “The Music Man.” His family was used to hearing music fill the house when he was home, whether it was played by him on his radio show, or on an album on his stereo equipment, or sung in his own voice. That entire summer, those songs were all from that musical and his daughters know the words to them to this day. His family will remember him forever as their own Music Man.

His legacy lives on in the family he loved, and while they will greatly miss his presence, they find comfort and joy in knowing that he is now with God in heaven, reunited with the family and friends who went before him. He is preceded in death by his parents and his granddaughter Alessandra Mackin. He is survived by his wife Adalgisa, his sister Sandy Carlson, his daughter Dominique and son-in-law Roy Varner, daughter Rachel and son-in-law Pierluigi Rossi, daughter Gabriella and son-in-law Brock Mackin, grandchildren Grant and Nicholas Varner, Isabella and Davide Rossi, Daniela, Rebecca, Johanna and Dominic Mackin, granddaughter-in-law Paige, and numerous other family members.

Visitation at Church will be held at Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church, on October 19, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, with a rosary at 6:00 pm. A Funeral Mass will take place at Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church, on October 20, 2026, at 11:00 am, with a Committal Service at Forest Park Lawndale, on October 20, 2026, at 3:00 pm.