Marianne Warsaw passed away on Aug. 9, 2024, in Sparta. She was 96.
She was born Marianne Doose on Feb. 24, 1928, in Cuxhaven, Germany.
Marianne was a vibrant and elegant woman who lived a long and colorful life filled with love, laughter and perseverance.
She grew up in Germany during World War II with her parents and three siblings. They experienced many hardships during the war.
Despite all of this, and perhaps because of it, after the war, Marianne pursued her passion for fashion and design, going to trade school to learn pattern making, garment construction and design.
She immigrated to America in 1950, then she began her long career in the garment industry in New York City.
Within two years, Marianne’s beau from Germany, Fritz Jessen, made his way to the United States and they married. In 1961, they welcomed their daughter, Christine.
In 1968, Fritz passed away suddenly from a heart attack.
Marianne persevered and soon met her second husband, Jerry Hertzel. They had six happy years together but unfortunately, Jerry passed away from colon cancer in 1975.
Marianne threw herself into her work and raising Christine as a single mom.
In her professional life, Marianne began her journey sewing piece goods in a factory. She steadily worked her way up. In the 1960s and ’70s, she headed the design room for SallyGee and designed several lines, including a very popular maternity line at the time called Great Times.
In the 1980s, she moved into designing private label ready-to-wear garments for brands, such as Brooks Brothers, Alcott & Andrews, and Lord & Taylor, to name a few.
Throughout her life, Marianne was known for her kindness, generosity and impeccable sense of style. She was always punctual and obsessed with cleanliness.
She had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh. Marianne had a unique rating system for movies, where the better the movie, the more “OMG’s” it received.
Marianne met her third husband, Eugene (Gene) Warsaw, in 1988. They enjoyed a long and happy marriage together.
They were a great match, as Gene also worked in the garment industry. They shared a love of travel, golf, good food, wine and the finer things in life.
Gene had two children from a previous marriage, Carla and Carl, whom Marianne loved very much.
Gene and Marianne had 31 wonderful years together. They enjoyed a loving and fulfilling marriage until his passing in 2019.
Marianne lived with her daughter, Christine, and son-in-law, Kent since that time.
She cherished her family above all else and was dedicated to their happiness and well-being. Her legacy lives on through her family and friends who will always remember her warmth, creativity and resilience. She will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.
Marianne is survived by her children, Christine Willis, Carla Warsaw Buchanan and Carl Warsaw; her sons-in-law, Kent Willis and Adam Buchanan; her daughter-in-law, Lisa Warsaw; her grandchildren, Allie, Zoe, Maddie, Teddy and Ella; as well as extended family and friends.
A private celebration of her life will take place at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice.