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Commander Marsha (Heineman) Hanly, 37, of Suffolk, Virginia, formerly of Pender, Nebraska died on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at the U.S. Navy hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Funeral services for Marsha will be held on Saturday, May 26, 2012 at 1:30 P.M. at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Pender. The visitation will be held on Friday from 3:00 until 8:00 P.M. at St. Mark's Lutheran Church. The family will be present from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M. Burial with full military honors will be in the Rosehill Cemetery in Pender. Arrangements by the Munderloh - Smith Funeral Home of Pender.

Marsha Ann Hanly, 37, of Suffolk, Virginia passed away on May 16, 2012. Marsha was born August 12, 1974 in Pender, Nebraska. Marsha attended Pender Public School and graduated as the valedictorian May 1992. She attended Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, NE with honors earning her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing in 1996. Marsha was commissioned in the United States Navy in the Nurse Medical Corps on October 1996.

Marsha was married to Scott Hanly of Virginia Beach, VA on November 13, 2004. From this union two beautiful children were born; Avery Ann on February 6, 2006 and Mason McCallister on January 8, 2009.

During her 16 years in the Navy, reaching the rank of Commander, Marsha served at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in Portsmouth, VA, Naples, Italy, Kuwait during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Sewell's Point Branch Medical Clinic in Norfolk, VA. Volleyball was a big part of her life. She was selected to play All Navy Volleyball for eight years and was selected twice to compete for the United States in the All World Military Championship games. Marsha attended Duke University from 2006-2008 earning her Master's Degree in Critical Care Nurse Specialist and Nurse Practitioner. Most recently, Marsha served six months on the Hospital Ship USNS Comfort providing care for people in nine Central and South America countries.

Marsha is survived by her husband Scott and children Avery,6 and Mason, 3 from Suffolk, VA; parents Don and Sharon Heineman from Pender, NE; in-laws Richard and Beverly Hanly of Virginia Beach, VA; brother Matthew and wife Krista from Thurston, NE; brother Mark and wife Donica from Kearney, NE; sister Melissa and husband Kevin from Omaha, NE; grandmother Helen Heineman from Pender, NE; sister in law Erin and husband Jason Updegraff from Winchester, VA and many nieces and nephews: Austin, Sydney, Reece, Jayla, Quinton, Chase, Kinsley, Jared, Curtis and Kelsey and several aunts, uncles and friends from coast to coast.

Marsha is preceded in death by her grandparents Harvey Heineman, Kenneth and Lucille Simonsen.

Marsha was a member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Pender, NE, her positive ways and infectious smile touched so many lives from around the world in her 37 years. She was a strong Christian and will surely be accepted into the house of God.

August 13, 2017
August 13, 2017
Happy Birthday my love. Today would mark your 43rd birthday. I desperately wish you were here to celebrate, but am comforted that you are not suffering and are not aging while you spend your time in the great heaven above. The kids and I miss you so very much and think about you everyday. Happy Birthday Marsha Ann. I love you wife
May 17, 2014
May 17, 2014
I can't believe it's been two whole years since I was able to speak to you, hold your hand, or kiss you. I struggle without you babe, without my best friend. You are and forever will be, my wife. I love you.
August 12, 2013
August 12, 2013
Marsha's life was life lived to its fullest. A happy marriage, a wonderful family and a loving home were just some of the great things she accomplished. Her legacy will certainly live on.It still seems so very hard to believe that Marsha is gone - God please wrap your arms around her forever* Love Dad and Mom  Happy Birthday**
May 16, 2013
May 16, 2013
Gone from our arms but now in Gods hands*
Marsha -We love you so very much and always will!

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Recent Tributes
August 13, 2017
August 13, 2017
Happy Birthday my love. Today would mark your 43rd birthday. I desperately wish you were here to celebrate, but am comforted that you are not suffering and are not aging while you spend your time in the great heaven above. The kids and I miss you so very much and think about you everyday. Happy Birthday Marsha Ann. I love you wife
May 17, 2014
May 17, 2014
I can't believe it's been two whole years since I was able to speak to you, hold your hand, or kiss you. I struggle without you babe, without my best friend. You are and forever will be, my wife. I love you.
August 12, 2013
August 12, 2013
Marsha's life was life lived to its fullest. A happy marriage, a wonderful family and a loving home were just some of the great things she accomplished. Her legacy will certainly live on.It still seems so very hard to believe that Marsha is gone - God please wrap your arms around her forever* Love Dad and Mom  Happy Birthday**
Recent stories

What a Woman!

October 22, 2012

 

Stories    What a woman!

Marsha was like a diamond:  multi-faceted and undeniably beautiful to all who ponder upon it and full of strength. Her beauty began within as a Godly, confident, compassionate, adventurous, and above all genuine person. Her outward beauty reflected these qualities with her sunny blond hair, her warm and caring brown eyes, and a ready smile and laugh that could comfort and reassure you in the toughest of times. She was a colorful person, like a diamond, radiating optimism on those around her: family, friends, coworkers, patients, and teammates. 

Marsha was so many things to so many different people and always a good listener. 

She was a nurse. Nurses are a special type of person, and I'm thinking of the good nurses here who are passionate about nursing -- the ones that treat you with medicine,  compassion and heart. Think about the grueling work schedules that nurses willingly endure to help provide comfort and healing to their patients! It is a trying schedule to be sure, and Marsha was in the military! So not only did she select a profession that requires long hours, she also chose to honorably serve our country and work where the government told her to.  

Your mommy was the first nurse friend that I have ever had, and I think that anyone who has a friend who is also a nurse is doubly blessed! I do not have the stomach to be a nurse and I was so grateful to ask for your mommy's nursing advice. One time I called her on a Saturday evening because the back of my daughter's earlobe was so red and swollen near her ear piercing. She said it sounded infected and she gave me a number to call so that I could make an appointment for the next day. I had no idea that the Navy had a clinic that saw people over the weekend -- Marsha was so helpful!

Marsha was a successful nurse in the military, and I had no idea that she was so successful until her memorial at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. She was so humble; my mouth dropped to hear of all the personnel she was responsible for and in utter admiration of all the accomplishments she achieved -- not an easy thing to do  as a woman in the military. Hopefully some others can speak about what it was like to be her coworker, supervisor or patient and give more details about that. Your mommy always was graceful.

She was also a great athlete. I met Marsha playing volleyball for the Navy; she played middle hitter. When I met your mom, I was an enlisted person not too far from boot camp where they tried to brain wash us that all officers are just terrible and rude. When I was at volleyball camp surrounded by officers and only 2 other enlisted players, I was a bit nervous. I had nothing to worry about though. Your mommy was so nice and crazy! One Friday night after we'd all cleaned up from practice, we went out for dinner. After dinner the whole team walked over to this Tiki bar where most of the social scene of the bar was outside. There was a walkway that led up to the bar, and this is where most of us stood, as it was crowded. Well someone, I bet it was your mom, had the wise idea to slap people coming through our line on their butt. So we did. One couple came through 3 times in a row, and after the 3rd time they went and told on us -- so we were kicked out of the bar. :)
She was a captain of our All Navy volleyball team. She handled awkward and questionable situations with composure and respect. There was a time when another player on the other side of the net was not being sportsmanlike. Marsha went up the ref without hesitation to point it out;  2 plays later the girl got a yellow card (a warning) to shape up.

There are not enough words that can describe the wonderful person your mommy is. It took me 3 months to get these words down. I thought it would be so hard...and it has been, but to think about her and how she has played a role in my adult life brings me joy.

Did you know that there were 5 volleyball players from the All-Navy volleyball team of 2002 that later became pregnant within months of each other? Yup. Your mommy was one of them, with you, Avery. :) It was so neat that all of us had a girl and then a boy! Crazy! 

After I had Bridget I was stressed OUT! Bridget cried all-of-the-time...around me anyway. Marsha's personality was like a soothing balm to those around her. She just was, probaby in part because of her optimism and just overall gentle ways. She came to visit me at my house while I was on maternity leave... Bridget was crying as usual when she arrived. Marsha took Bridget and guess who calmed down and stopped crying? Bridget. I thought, now why can't I do that? :)

Marsha and I didn't live physically close to each other or see each other all of the time, but I never worried about our relationship as good friends. We could always pick up where we left off; it was as if no time had passed from the last time I had seen her. 

Notice in the stories that others add and the tributes they post how recurring themes of her faith in God (she was almost always in a Bible study since I'd met her; where did she find the time?), her compassion, how genuine she was (a quality very difficult to find in people), her independence, and how she lived life to the fullest every day. Take note of these things, and know how much more so she used these characteristics to be an awesome and fun mother to you; anyone would loved and been blessed to have been her child. Listen to her whispers to you as you read these things about your mom and hold them close to her heart, as she holds you.
-Contributed by Edina Chinn 

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