Obituary of Marie Bessicks

Marie Bessicks, transitioned Sunday, September 12, 2021. A memorial service for Mrs. Bessicks will be held on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 at Vaughn Greene Randallstown Chapel, 8728 Liberty Rd, Randallstown, MD where the family will receive friends from10:00AM-10:30AM with services to follow. ~Obituary~ Marie Louise Bessicks, retired Physical Education teacher and Guidance Counselor, passed away peacefully on the evening of September 12, 2021 at the age of 94. She was a caring mother, grandmother, aunt and cherished friend to many. A lifelong reader and travel enthusiast, she was born Marie Louise McKinnie on October 19, 1926 in the city of Philadelphia to parents Louise and Charles McKinnie. Marie was the middle child of the family with an older sister, Olga and younger brother, Charles, Jr. She recognized early on that education would be her life's work. Marie attended Philadelphia public schools. She was a proud graduate of a HBCU, Morgan State College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education. She went on to earn a Master of Science degree from Temple University. She did not stop there, Marie enrolled at Johns Hopkins University where she received her certification in guidance counseling. As fate would have it, she fell in love with and married a teacher like herself. Marie McKinnie and Clyde W. Bessicks were joined in matrimony in the small, quaint little town of Elkton, Maryland. It was once known as the elopement capital of the East Coast. Together, the young couple had one child, their beloved son, Clyde W. Bessicks, Jr. He was their pride and joy. Marie thrived in her chosen profession. Her teaching career with Baltimore City Public Schools would span more 30 years. Passionate about learning and setting her middle school students on the proper course for success, she guided them to pursue higher educational opportunities. Marie would encourage and inspire thousands of impressionable young people over the course of a lifetime. Even beyond her official retirement, she continued to work as a guidance counselor for the Community College of Baltimore City. It is fair to say, Marie touched so many hearts and opened so many minds. For a woman of such small physical stature, she was a genuine force of nature. Marie was an avid world traveler, exploring four of the seven continents including Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Greece and Hong Kong deserve special mentions as they made her list of favorite destinations. For all the unique and exotic places she visited across the globe, Cape May, New Jersey was her favorite place to spend time with a wonderfully loving family and devoted friends alike. She spent her time cruising the shops and enjoying the views of Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Her formal training in physical education, combined with an active, healthy lifestyle and her relentless zest for adventure contributed to a full life blessed with longevity. She was a huge fan of romance novels by the author, Nora Roberts, and she never missed an episode of Jeopardy. Her family could not get enough of her corned beef and cabbage. When asked the question, what was their favorite dish, the answer was unanimous. According to her grandchildren, she was honest and had a clever sense of humor. She reveled in her grandchildren's accomplishments, from attending their dance and music recitals to the college graduation ceremonies for all three of them. Her legacy for education was successfully passed along to the next generation, and one of those grandchildren even attended her alma mater, Morgan State – how proud she must have been. Marie was a member of the Church of the Holy Trinity where she served on several of the ministries including, the Women's Ministry, Finance Ministry and the Hospitality Ministry. She was affiliated with the Morgan State University Alumni Association, and for more than 60 years, she remained a member of the Spockettes (a group of women friends). She is preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Louise McKinnie, her husband, Clyde Bessicks, Sr., and both siblings, sister, Olga Frisby, and brother, Charles McKinnie, Jr. She leaves to cherish her memory; her loving son, Clyde Bessicks; daughter-in-law, Theresa Bessicks; grandchildren, Courtney, Cameron and Carlyn Bessicks, and a host of nieces and nephews. To recite from Marie's favorite gospel hymn: When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart Then I shall bow, in humble adoration And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art