Marianne Storton

Marianne “Mak” Storton died gracefully at home on October 7, 2026, surrounded by family and friends who sent her off with a musical hootenanny. She had what she would have called a “good death,” which was her deepest wish after receiving a lung cancer diagnosis eighteen months ago. She was 73.

Marianne was a marvel–a brilliant, renaissance woman with a tapestry of artistic expressions and knowledge that she shared openly and readily. She was an instinctual caregiver and educator which led to a long, fulfilling career as a registered nurse and later, as a mother. She was a nurse and clinical instructor at the Virginia Baptist Hospital, a public health nurse with the Health Department, and she spent over a decade as the nurse coordinator at the Free Clinic of Central Virginia where she was a tireless advocate for her patients. Mak was endlessly creative in her pursuits of gardening, baking, calligraphy, knitting, painting and lastly, but perhaps most passionately, pottery. Her community of friends and fellow potters at the Jackson Heights Art Studio brought her immense joy and meaning.

Friendships and communities blossomed under Mak’s enthusiastic influence. She brightened every space she entered with her warmth, her generous spirit, and her unique ability to connect with everyone. She even introduced her son to his life partner after meeting her in a yoga class. Mak radiated a genuine interest in others and had a keen ability to notice and encourage people’s gifts.

Born February 4, 1953, in Philadelphia, Marianne was the second of five children of Mary DePalma Koenig and Joseph Marius Koenig. She spent summers on the shore in Wildwood, NJ, with her Italian grandmother, Florentina, who instilled in her a lifelong love of the beach and homemade pasta. Marianne went on to study nursing at D’Youville College in Buffalo, NY. While there, she met her husband of fifty years, Jack Storton, at the No Name Bar. He won her over soon after, when he came to fix her bicycle and ended up repairing everyone’s bike in her dorm. Marianne and Jack were married on the first day of spring in 1976, a bicentennial wedding!

In 1977, Mak and Jack moved to Lynchburg, VA, where Mak immersed herself in her community. In addition to a career spent promoting public health, she volunteered as Sister Rose at the Old City Cemetery, reenacting 19th century medical techniques at the Pest House (including demonstrations of amputations so authentic that some visitors nearly fainted). She also pursued her love of art and antiques as a docent at the Maier Museum of Art and as an estate sale greeter with Beth Gladwell & Associates.

She loved to move her body, running the Marine Corps Marathon in the early ‘80s, showing up for early morning swims at Peakland Pool, walking miles on Rivermont and the shores of OBX with friends, and practicing yoga for over a decade. While at Hot Yoga Lynchburg, she found her mantra, “Breathing always normal,” which she embodied through the end of her life.

Mak was an exceptional mother and steadfast presence in the lives of her two children: leading girl scout troop 698, reading classics like The Hobbit to their classes, organizing dinner theaters at Dunbar Middle School, and cheering (very) enthusiastically on the sidelines of cross-country courses, pool decks, and violin concerts.

She delighted in her new role as Gigi to two grandboys who she lovingly referred to as “bear cubs.” She was quick to show pictures to everyone she met and curated moments of wonder and joy for them even in her last days. Among Mak’s last words were passages from “Goodnight Moon.”

Mak is survived by her husband, Jack; son John-Michael and daughter-in-love Ally Rennell; daughter Meredith, son-in-law Luke Wachter and two grandchildren; siblings Rick Koenig, Jim Koenig, and Judy Bacile, all of whom will miss her immeasurably. She and her family are immensely grateful to her care team at UVA and her vibrant community of potters, yogis, and friends who helped her navigate a terminal diagnosis with grace and dignity. She is now reunited in peace with her little brother, Danny.

If you’d like to make a donation in Marianne’s honor, consider contributing to Lynchburg’s Old City Cemetery or Kids Haven.

A memorial service will be held in the spring.

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.