Nancy Lee Marino

Nancy Lee MARINO (Campbell)

Age of 91, passed away on Sunday, January 24th, 2021, at her home in Trotwood, due to pneumonia.

She was born in Oklahoma, then as an infant, traveled by train to Bellefontaine, OH, with her future aunt. Nancy was adopted by Vern and Vincey Campbell.

She grew up as an only child on a small farm. Her father was a railroad conductor and her mother a homemaker.

After graduating high school in Bellefontaine, OH, she became a telephone operator in Dayton, OH. There, she met her future husband, Charles Marino. On August 6th, 1949, they married, then started a family. Eventually they moved to their own farm, in Trotwood.

Both she and her husband were 6' 2" and made a striking couple that could not be missed entering a room. When the children were young, she was a homemaker and talented seamstress, sewing clothes for the children and herself. She was also very creative and a talented artist; both her drawings and calligraphy were amazing!

Nancy was a woman ahead of her time. She had many interests in life. She ran for School Board, was involved in Trotwood Democratic Club, Federated Democratic Women of Ohio, Trotwood Historical Society, she was active in her church, a bookkeeper and always a helper to her husband in his many businesses and adventures.

To say the least, Nancy was a unique and hardworking character who was incredibly intelligent (a bit stubborn) but lived life by her own terms - and stayed spunky to the end of her 91 years, 9 months and 25 days.

Being a child of the Great Depression, she would find value in ordinary things others would overlook or discard. Both she and her husband were adventurous and curious people. She never knew what business her husband would think up or what he might bring home. An example of her unexpected daily life: One day, early in marriage, Charles came home with a monkey! That's correct! An organ grinder-style monkey! One idea was building a barn on the farm and turning it into an Auction House, auctioning livestock. Another was running a small family grocery store on West Third Street, in Dayton. A few summers they ran the food concessions at the Dahio Airport Drag Race. Other summers they ran some of Dayton's public swimming pool concessions, as well as ran a winter snow removal business! Over the years, other business adventures they had was running an antique business, a used car lot, an automotive parts business, and a few more we have forgotten.

In 1999, Nancy was 70yrs old when the love of her life, Charles, passed away. Through his loss and memory, she

embraced life and started volunteering! Then she began working at the Montgomery County Board of Elections. Throughout her 70's, 80's, and 90's she would audit all sorts of college classes for Sinclair Community College! From Computer Science, to History and the Constitution, even Weightlifting! This led to lots of reading and collecting hundreds of books on her varied interests. She knitted and donated some her knitting work both locally and internationally.

On the way to and through her adventures, she met many interesting characters and earned great friends. They are the kind of treasured friends you want to accompany you on your adventure and will miss her every day, until they meet again.

Her family is left with so many memories, books, collected mementos, and unfinished projects from her interesting life, which will take quite a bit of time for her family to go through and organize.

She is survived by her children Patricia Ann Marino-Johnson of Maui, HI, Susan Lee Marino of Sacramento, CA, and Charles William Marino, Jr. of Trotwood, OH.

May you be blessed to find a little adventure in your own life, no matter your age.

Due to COVID-19, no services are currently scheduled.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to your local food bank.