A devout Catholic, Marion belonged to the Secular Franciscan Order. She was the parish secretary at St. Thomas Aquinas church for over three decades. Marion found fulfillment in giving generously to several charities. She loyally babysat for her siblings' children, as well as her great nieces and nephews, and coined the word "hectivity" to describe the hectic activity in their households.

A reader wrote to say that, in his house, they use the word "hectivity." "My three daughters cause too much hectivity in our house."

Today is National Joygerm Day, which, as founder Joygerm Joan White of Syracuse noted, "falls conveniently at a time when we all need a little pick-me-up following the hectivity of the holidays."