Marcia Lenora (Roush) Brecht Surman

Marcia Lenora Roush was born to Leonard Roush and Mildred (Miller) Roush of Dayton, Ohio. She graduated from Julienne High School in Dayton in 1960. She met and married Howard George “Bud” Brecht in October 1962 and they subsequently had two daughters: Karen and Cindy. Marcia graduated from Miami Valley Nursing School in 1970. As her daughters grew after she and Bud divorced, she returned to school to get her Bachelors of Sociology from Findlay College (now University of Findlay) in 1985. She worked weekends as a nurse in Columbus while she studied to get her Masters of Social Work in 1989 from The Ohio State University.

Marcia’s career includes working at Blanchard Valley Hospital as a nurse for over 16 years in a wide variety of roles (including intensive care and in the psychiatric unit). She accepted a position as a Social Worker at the Thoroughbred Addiction Counsel of Ohio as her first job after receiving her Masters before moving to Guam to teach at the University of Guam from 1991 through 1994. Upon her return to the continental US in 1994, she relocated to North Carolina where she held several positions at the Carolina East Health System as a Primary Social Worker. She was a counselor at the Kinston Mental Health Center and worked in private practice, then returning to Carolina East Health System to serve as the Partial Hospitalization Program Manager until her retirement in 2014.

Her hobbies included a love of reading, traveling, gardening, and spending time with her family. She even combined these loves to take her grandchildren on vacations with her both individually and occasionally as a group on what were lovingly called “Grandma’s Wild Rides.”

While working at Carolina East Health System, Marcia met Herbert “Skip” Surman. In January, 2022, Marcia and Skip were married in a private ceremony. Skip lovingly cared for Marcia for the last 5 years of her life while she was ill.

Marcia is survived by her husband Herbert “Skip” Surman, her daughters Karen Ann (Mark) Rose and Cynthia “Cindy” Ann Wolfe, her brother James (Linda) Zalusky as well as Skip’s sisters: Debra (Steve) Hockman and Patty (Jim) Rhodes. Her cousin Judy Jewell also survives along with Marcia’s grandchildren Andrea Christine (Beau) Salyers, John Charles (Claudia) Wolfe, Marisa Jane (Robert) Sanders, and Christopher James Wolfe as well as her nephew Eric (Ellen) Zalusky and niece Anna Zalusky. She was known at Gigi to her two great grandchildren: Lexington Rose Sanders and Paxton Robert Sanders. She was predeceased by her parents, Leonard Roush and Mildred (Miller) Roush Zalusky, her son-in-law Charles F. “Chuck” Wolfe, and her cousin Marcia Lee Mills.

A private family only graveside service will be held in New Bern, North Carolina. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation to your local Hospice or to the Food Bank CENC at New Bern (North Carolina) in memory of Marcia.

Cotten Funeral Home is honored to serve the family and friends of Marcia Lenora (Roush) Brecht Surman.