Marlene Girouard

Marlene Girouard, 84, of Gainesville, Virginia, passed away of natural causes in her home on March 30, 2026. She was born to George Bluvas and Clara Bluvas on December 15, 1941, in Omaha, Nebraska. She was the 3rd oldest of 8 children. She grew up in Omaha, attending South High School and then Creighton University, eventually earning a B.A. in Accounting. She was one of the first in her family to attend college. While at Creighton, Marlene met her husband, Richard Girouard. They were married in 1963 and started a family while moving around the country to locations including Fort Knox, Fort Benning, GA, Monterey CA, Fort Belvoir, VA and Norfolk, VA - wherever the U.S. Army sent them. They eventually settled in Alexandria, Virginia with three sons and two daughters. Marlene was a deeply loving, kind, and adventurous person. She had to be to raise a large family while moving around the country. She loved exploring and trying new things. They went on many outdoor adventures as a family with Marlene, allowing the kids to roam and explore and develop an adventurous attitude with a strong sense of independence. She developed friendships across the country, many of which lasted a lifetime. After her kids grew up and scattered to the wind, and Richard passed, Marlene moved to Heritage Hunt in Gainesville, VA in 2003. From there, she started to travel - a lot. Often, to see her kids at the various places they called home (Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Kentucky, London, New York, North Carolina, Southern California). Or sometimes, back to Omaha to maintain her bonds with family and friends. However, on many occasions, she chose to visit places simply because she had never been there before. Skiing in Tahoe, flying over Denali, and retreating to an ashram in India are just a few examples. Her main traveling companions included several of her friends and siblings. She visited her son Rick and his wife Sharon in Alaska and they had marvelous adventures. Once she came up to Alaska with her son Mike, and daughter Cathy and they went on a snowmobile adventure. Even though she had never been on one before, she took off like a rocket, enjoying the nice day and view of Denali Mountain at high speed. Another time Marlene visited Alaska with her sister Charlene and brother Ron. She got her first try at riding an ATV and over some rough trails at that! In her later years, Marlene’s favorite travel partner was her dear and beloved companion, Daniel B. Taylor also of Heritage Hunt. Dan passed in 2022. Marlene was one of a kind and will be sorely missed by her family and friends. Marlene is survived by her sons Rick (Sharon) Girouard of Anchorage, AK; Mike (Elizabeth) Girouard of Summit, NJ; Jim (Kim) Girouard of Raleigh, NC; her daughters Mary Clark of Colorado Springs, CO; and Cathy Riedel of Springfield, VA; her sisters Donna Maresch; Patty Smith; and Charlene Stender all of Omaha, NE; and Kathy Sondag of Arlington VA; She is also survived by ten grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She was proceeded in death by her parents, George and Clara Bluvas, her sister LaRiene Petrovich, her brothers George and Ron Bluvas, and her husband, Richard Girouard. A private ceremony for the family will be held at Quantico National Cemetery, Quantico, Virginia on May 1, 2026, where she will be laid to rest next to her husband. This will be followed by Marlene's Celebration of Life that will be open to all at Bell Air 1740 at 14513 General Washington Drive Prince William, VA 22193, about 25 minutes south of D.C. The celebration is from 2pm to 5pm. Memorial donations can be made in Marlene’s honor to the Essential Tremors Foundation (https://essentialtremor.org) and the Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.Alz.org).

Marlene Girouard

December 15, 1941 - March 30, 2026