Marcia Ross Green's Obituary
Marcia Green, an endlessly compassionate, fiercely independent, and deeply beloved member of the Miami Beach community, passed away at the age of 91. A small private service will be held at Lakeside Memorial Park, where Marcia will be laid to rest. A celebration of Marcia’s life is being planned for this summer.
Born on November 18, 1934, in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Marcia attended the University of Michigan before a serious case of the flu unexpectedly changed the course of her life. In 1952, her mother brought her to Miami Beach to recover in the sunshine and salt air. While recuperating, Marcia took a teaching job at Nautilus Junior High School. She quickly fell in love with Miami Beach, its people, and its energy — and decided to make it her home.
After teaching, Marcia opened her own interior decorating business, combining her creativity, confidence, and impeccable eye for style. Her entrepreneurial spirit, determination, and ability to connect with people became defining traits throughout her life.
Not long after arriving in Miami Beach, she met a young lawyer named Marvin Green, who became the love of her life. Together they built a relationship centered around family, friendship, civic involvement, and an unwavering commitment to their community.
Marcia was passionate about helping children and improving the city she loved. In the 1980s, she founded the Miami Beach Bureau for Children’s Affairs, which provided after-school snacks and support for local children. Following the devastation of Hurricane Andrew, she helped organize food and toy bags for children and families displaced from their homes for extended periods of time.
She also founded and served as President of the Benjamin Franklin Society for the Miami Beach public library system, which she created, in her words, to “make the library a focal point in the community and more accessible to the needs of children and young readers.” She served as President of the Miami Beach Citizens Action Committee, remained a longtime member of Temple Beth Sholom, and was active on the Fisher Island Philanthropic Fund.
Marcia never stopped learning, questioning, reading, or advocating for what she believed in. She remained sharp, engaged, and intellectually curious throughout her entire life. An avid reader with an incredibly inquisitive mind, she loved spirited conversations, current events, politics, books, and word games. Just two weeks ago she received the Global Number 1 badge on Words With Friends, which made her grandchildren feel better that despite playing hundreds of games against her, they never once beat Grandma Marcia!
Daughter of the late Celia and Benjamin Ross, Marcia is survived by her daughters Amanda Green and Amy Friedman, and Amy’s husband Mark Friedman and her two beloved grandchildren Michael and Camryn Friedman, whom she adored.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Marcia Green’s memory be made to the V Foundation for Cancer Research or the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
https://vfoundation.donordrive.com/campaigns/Marcia_Green
http://www.info-komen.org/goto/Marcia_Green
Arrangements by Levitt Weinstein Blasberg Rubin Zilbert Memorial Chapel (305) 932-2700.
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