Marilyn Neff Loesch, age 83, of Gloucester Point, died at home in the company of her children on Feb. 24, 2014.

Mrs. Loesch was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Dr. Joseph Loesch, employed for over 30 years at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

She is survived by her two sons, Zachary and Matthew; her daughter, Jessica Scotten, and one granddaughter, Victoria Ledbetter.

Mrs. Loesch was born and raised in Fall River, Mass., where she graduated from Durfee High School in 1948. In 1951, she received her nursing degree from the Rhode Island School of Nursing in Providence. 

She met and married Joseph Loesch at Queens, N.Y., during 1952. She raised three children and worked as a registered nurse while her husband pursued his education. 

The family relocated to Gloucester, Va., where Dr. Loesch was employed at VIMS in 1969. Mrs. Loesch also worked at VIMS in the library while simultaneously pursuing a degree in biology at Christopher Newport College. She then earned a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

She worked in the library at Christopher Newport College prior to being recruited by Hampton University where she was full-time tenured faculty until retirement. She then cared for her terminally ill husband.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 7 p.m. March 18, 2014 at Hogg Funeral Home, Gloucester Point.