Marie Eloise (Schlueter) Fornoff
Marie Eloise (Schlueter) Fornoff

She was 91.
Marie was born in Benzonia, Michigan on January 31, 1934, to August and Lydia Schlueter. That same year, along with her parents and her brother Carl and sister Helen, the family moved to the Judd Estate in Good Harbor, MI, where her parents worked. In 1938 the family moved to nearby Leland into the home her father built by hand. After graduating from Leland high school in 1952, she attended the Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing in Cincinnati, OH, receiving her Registered Nursing degree in 1953. While attending school, she met Mario M. Fornoff, who was attending engineering school at the University of Cincinnati. In 1955 they married and moved to Dayton, OH. Mario graduated in 1957. Following the births of their children, Jeff and Judy, the family moved several times to Lindenwold, NJ in 1960, Lancaster, PA in 1963, Martinsville, NJ in 1968, and Bridgewater NJ in 1969. Marie took some classes in the mid 1970’s to brush up on her nursing skills and entered the work force as a private duty nurse to help with the college bills for her children. In 1982 Marie and Mario moved to Massachusetts and built a home in nearby Atkinson, NH in 1984. After Marie and Mario separated, Marie moved to Pennsylvania to be near her children in 1999, first in Milford Township, Milford, PA, and eventually building and moving into her current home in Palmer Township, Easton, PA in 2006.
Marie loved her family dearly. A stay-athome mom for most of her children’s upbringing, she was supportive of their school activities and loved to plan their birthday parties. She was integral in organizing the many family vacations across the country to her family home in Michigan and Mario’s parents’ homes in Buffalo, NY and later Scottsdale, AZ. Many summer vacations were spent visiting our national parks. She was a devout Christian. Marie loved cooking and baking, collecting a plethora of cookbooks and recipes, often experimenting with new recipes for her family! She had a green thumb and was an avid gardener and loved observing wildlife. She played an integral part being an amateur architect in the construction of 2 of the family homes. She loved playing games with the family – favorite games included canasta, pinochle, monopoly and scrabble. Sudoku was a passion in her later years.
Marie is survived by her children, Jeffrey M. Fornoff (Diane) and Judith M. (Fornoff) Geschardt (Richard Picone), grandchildren Thomas M. Geschardt, Jonathon M. Fornoff (Jessica Reed), Jennifer M. (Fornoff ) Keating and greatgrandchildren Beau Mario and Forest Julian John. Along with her parents and former husband Mario, Marie was predeceased by her brothers Carl O. Schlueter, Paul Schlueter, and Harold Schlueter, and her sisters Helen E. (Schlueter) Borgula and Eleanora A. Schlueter. She will be missed by her nieces, nephews, and remaining family/friends who live in Michigan.
Marie has been cremated. Visitation begins at 10am on Monday, June 15th at the Martinson Funeral Home in Suttons Bay, MI followed by a memorial service at 11am. Marie will be interned next to her parents at East Leland Cemetery after the service, followed by a luncheon at the Leland Lodge starting at 1pm. All are invited.
Please share condolences with Marie’s family at www.martinson.info.
Arrangements are with the Martinson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Leelanau.