Mary Victoria Markell Louisville, Kentucky Obituary

Mary Victoria Markell

<p>Victoria Golden Markell, 73, died peacefully on Sunday, January 22nd, 2023, after a brief battle with cancer. </p><p><br></p><p>Vicky was born in Louisville on November 11,1949, to the late Bernard J. “Beano” Golden and Jean Sandman Golden. She was the third of six children, two of whom, Timothy D. Golden (Joanne Buk Golden, deceased) and James A. Golden, Sr., preceded her in death.</p><p><br></p><p>Left to cherish her memory are her brother Bernard J. “Skip” Golden of Lucasville, OH; her brother, Matt Golden (Karin McKim Golden, deceased); and sister, Barbara Golden Cambron of Louisville; her aunt, Nancy Sandman Ostertag of Louisville; and uncle, Cal Sandman (Millie) of Atlanta; her godmother/cousin, Jane Anne Steinbock Roehrig (Joe) of Louisville; and hundreds of cousins, nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and friends both nearby and scattered around the world.</p><p><br></p><p>Vicky spent more than 30 years living and working in Washington, D.C., first, as a staff member to two U.S. Senators. In 1976, she went to work for the FMC Corporation as a registered lobbyist, and was one of the first women in the country to do so at the federal level. </p><p><br></p><p>In 1979, she joined the John B. Anderson (R-IL) presidential campaign as director of press and scheduling. When the GOP selected Ronald Reagan in 1980 as its nominee, thus signaling the abandonment of women’s issues, Vicky changed her party registration to Democrat. </p><p><br></p><p>From 1985 to 1991, Vicky was Executive/Associate Director of the Better World Society (BWS), an international nonprofit organization founded by Ted Turner and other leaders. BWS produced and distributed television documentaries focused on world peace, environmental degradation and population stabilization. Translated and distributed in more than 50 countries, these programs earned major awards around the world.</p><p><br></p><p>Vicky found her most gratifying work in 1991 when she joined Population Action International (PAI) as Director of Government Affairs, and later Vice President. She directed PAI’s work with the U.S. Congress and Administration, the United Nations, the World Bank and a variety of international financial forums. </p><p><br></p><p>In 1994, she was appointed by President Bill Clinton to be an official U.S. Delegate to the UN Conference on Population and Development held in Egypt. There, they negotiated language and finances for women’s health and education programs worldwide. This laid the groundwork for the 1995 UN Women’s Conference in Beijing, where the delegation expanded the scope and financial commitment for programs benefiting girls and women across the globe. </p><p><br></p><p>Throughout these years, Vicky attended night school at a variety of Washington D.C. universities, and eventually cobbled together enough credits to earn a degree in Political Science from the American University, and completed all course work towards a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. </p><p><br></p><p>She left Washington D.C. in 1998 and returned to Louisville to be a hands-on aunt, daughter and sister. Vicky turned her passion for antiques into a profession as an antiques dealer and certified appraiser. She also represented Planned Parenthood of Kentucky at the Kentucky General Assembly for three years. </p><p><br></p><p>In 1999, she joined the local League of Women Voters as a volunteer where she served on the Board of Directors for numerous terms, arriving just in time to work on the consolidation of the City of Louisville and Jefferson County governments into the Louisville Metro Government. She organized candidate forums in each of the newly formed 26 districts, and later at both the local and state level for many years. </p><p><br></p><p>Her last job before retirement was with Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC) where she served as the Business Division Assistant for six years. The Business Division instructed students in business management and marketing, CIT, economics, insurance, real estate, medical terminology and culinary degree programs. Vicky worked with students from diverse backgrounds, advising them on their schedules and other issues. </p><p><br></p><p>Until very recently, she continued to cover the Metro Government as a volunteer for the League of Women Voters, focusing on affordable housing and women’s issues, including the drafting and passage of a resolution supporting the CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women). </p><p><br></p><p>Vicky worked for the rights of girls and women her entire life. She shared information and her experiences with her nieces, nephews, students, colleagues and others who simply appreciated her perspectives. </p><p><br></p><p>The family will receive visitors from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Thursday, February 2nd at Highlands Funeral Home, 3331 Taylorsville Road. A celebration of Vicky’s life will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday, February 3rd, at Highlands.</p><p><br></p><p>In lieu of flowers, she requested that contributions be made to: the Metropolitan Housing Coalition, P.O. Box 4833, Louisville, KY 40204 or Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, P.O. Box 397, Indianapolis, IN 46225.</p>
November 11, 1949 - January 22, 202311/11/194901/22/2023
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Margaret Wagner
January 27, 2023
I knew Vicky growing up in the St. Matthews area, attending elementary and high school together. There was no one more adventurous than Vicky, and I remember wonderful slumber parties at the Golden household. Just full of life, family and fun.
I'm so sorry I didn't keep ...
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Diane Hayden
November 16, 2023
I grew up in the same neighborhood and went to grade school and high school with Vicky. Seems like we all had large families and many of us were the same age and grades. We walked to school, rode our bikes and were Girl Scouts together. After high school, we went our ... Continue Reading