Marsha Shapiro-Marra

Friends will be received at the funeral home on Wednesday June 18th from 12 noon until 2 PM.

A funeral service will take place at 2 PM.

Burial will follow in Hurley Cemetery.

Marsha B. Shapiro-Marra
11-8-48 to 6-12-25

Marsha B. Shapiro-Marra passed away unexpectedly at 10:57 AM at Vassar Brothers Hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York. She was a mother, grandmother, sister, cousin, aunt, nurse, wife, neighbor, and friend to so many, embracing each of these roles with grace and unrivaled humility.

Marsha was born in Los Angeles, California, to her parents Ben Supran and Blanche Sorelson. Shortly after, the family moved to the Bronx, New York, where Marsha spent much of her early life. During her teenage years, she enjoyed swimming, roller skating, ice skating, and horseback riding near City Island.

She was predeceased by her father, Ben (1981, age 71); her mother, Blanche (1985, age 65); her infant brother, Robert B. Supran (1946, age 3 days); her husband, Alex J. Marra (2025, age 83); and her dear friends Audrey and Norbert.

She is survived by her sons: Adam Shapiro and his wife Jenna; Scott Shapiro and his wife Maria; and Alex Marra and his wife Kristin. She is also survived by her stepsons, Nick Marra and his wife Kim, and Chris Marra and his wife Kristi; her sister, Pam Rapino, and her husband Joe; her nephews, Tony and Mike; her beloved grandchildren, Stella, Julia, Leo, and Lena; her cousins Pattie, Berny, Heath, and Lauren Brenner; and countless coworkers, friends, and neighbors whose lives she touched.

Marsha earned her nursing degree from Bronx Community College and devoted her life to caring for others. She began her career in the burn unit at Jacobi Hospital and went on to work at Montefiore Hospital, Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Benedictine Hospital, in home health care, and more. However, the core of her career was at Northern Dutchess Hospital, where she served from 1985 to 2022. Marsha was among the first nurses to help open the Neugarten Family Birth Center—the first hospital-based birthing center in New York State.

At Northern Dutchess Hospital, Marsha was remembered as a kind and dedicated nurse, someone people never forgot and the reason many came back to have their second or third child. She embodied what it means to be a nurse through empathy, nurture, selflessness and technical skill. Her warmth and energy could calm even the most anxious patient.

She helped make thousands of mothers' and fathers' most memorable days even more special. There are now thousands of people, from toddlers to adults in their forties, who received their first bath and were welcomed into the world by Marsha's gentle smile and warm embrace.

For Marsha, nursing was never just a job. Even at 73 years old, she continued to work through the COVID-19 pandemic without fear. Simultaneously, she advocated for her 100% disabled husband, traveling back and forth to the VA hospital in Albany and fighting for justice on his behalf for the illness he developed while serving as a Marine at Camp Lejeune. She was amazing at her job and just as amazing when the scrubs came off.

Marsha's gift for nursing wasn't something taught or trained–it was simply who she was. That same innate warmth made her an extraordinary mother to her three sons: Adam Shapiro, Scott Shapiro, and Alex B. Marra, as well as a loving stepmother to Nick Marra and Chris Marra.

There was nothing she was more proud of than her sons. She loved them deeply and selflessly. She would do anything, at any time, for any one of us. She was mom, she was dad, she was best friend and confidant. There were no bounds to the care she gave and the devotion she had for each of us. This devotion drove her desire to live forever, to never miss a moment, to capture every picture, and soak in every single drop of life she could from this world while she was in it. To defy age through diet, through spirit, through positivity, so full of life and so full of love.

Marsha's light lives on in all of us. To have even the slightest imprint of her is a blessing, and to be her children, the greatest gift. We are all who we are today because of you, mom! You lived and died for your family. You are our forever matriarch.

We aren't done yet! We would need the whole newspaper to talk about Marsha; however, since this is on a website, we won't be mindful of characters.

If there was anything Marsha loved as much as being a mother, it was being a grandmother. She was adored, cherished and beloved by her grandchildren. She thought of them in everything she did, engaging them in deep conversations or listening to them just to listen, to absorb and to understand. She was a mentor, a friend, and a beacon of love and wisdom.

She treasured every moment spent with Stella and Julia, the daughters of her son Scott and his wife Maria. She was so proud of their every accomplishment and would never waste an opportunity to share with anyone and everyone how amazing they both were. Traveling to Grandma Marsha's house from the city was always an exciting event for them, knowing they would be filled to the brim with pure love.

She shared an equally special bond with her youngest grandchildren, Leo and Lena, the son and daughter of her son Alex and his wife Kristin. Marsha was there for the delivery of both children, and even gave Leo his first bath. Their days together were filled with joy and love: lunch dates, bus stop pickups, painting, arts and crafts, singing, dancing, and playing piano. They adored their irreplaceable Grandma Marsh.

Outside of her lifelong commitment to bringing new life into the world, Marsha infused life into everything she did. Her commitment to taking care of others extended into her love for all of earth's creatures. Her pets became family, and she would do anything to protect and nurture all animals.

She is predeceased by Tammy, Muffin, Sweetpea, Cali, Yoshi, Stormy, Bandit, Holly, Dami, Cody, and many more. She is survived by her cats Catherine and Olivia. It was her highest of hopes that, beyond this life, there exists a Rainbow Bridge, a place beyond the earthly realm where beloved animals reside, restored to health and joy and where they are reunited with their humans to cross the bridge together. If anyone deserves this reunion, it's her.

We love you mom. Your grandchildren love you, and everyone who ever met you loves you, too. You will forever be in our hearts and minds; we will hear you in every bird's song, think of you in every animal we see. There was never going to be a right time to have to say goodbye, but I'm certain it wasn't yet.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your local SPCA in support of our mother's love for animals.