Marian Elizabeth Tierney

Marian Tierney, who touched the lives of countless young people as St. Francis de Sales' longtime youth ministry director, passed away Oct. 30 after a brave fight with the illnesses that afflicted her for many years. She died peacefully in her sleep with family at her side. While many in her parish community share volumes of Marian stories, fewer know about how she overcame numerous challenges in her life before St. Francis de Sales. Marian Elizabeth Tierney was born Oct. 6, 1937, into a large Irish Catholic family on Tipperary Hill in Syracuse, N.Y. She was a rascally youngster with thick glasses and skinned knees. As a child she experienced the deaths of two brothers, and her mother's frequent hospitalization for long-term illnesses. She met Jerry Gilbert, a young airman studying Russian at Syracuse University, fell in love and married him in 1960. She spent the next 16 years serving her country as a Cold War-era military wife and mother, moving her young family from base to base and caring for them on her own while her husband served tours in Vietnam. When duty took the family to Berlin, Germany, she twice flew alone with her four little kids on space-available flights back to the United States for family emergencies. Her husband's intelligence-gathering work in Germany had him away from home as often as not; Marian learned not to be terrified by late-night anonymous phone calls in which heavily accented callers asked, "Your man, is he safe?" Following her husband's Air Force retirement in 1976, the family settled in Vallejo, Calif. It was there that Marian began her work with young people on a large scale. She was instrumental in building a youth soccer program that would eventually introduce thousands of kids and adults to the sport. But the cool, damp Bay Area winters aggravated her multiple sclerosis, with which she had struggled for many years. Seeking a warmer climate and better doctors, the family returned to Tucson in 1982 and settled in at St. Francis. It was their second stay at the parish; they'd first joined when they were stationed at Davis-Monthan in the mid-1970s. Fr. O'Leary's Irish brogue and the way he sang, "Faith of Our Fathers," must've reminded Marian of her childhood days on Tipp Hill. Although her marriage ended, Marian's commitment to the parish deepened in the years that followed. Fr. Tamminga recognized her talent for organizing and motivating young people and gave her a chance as youth minister. She threw herself into her work and helped to build a program that would eventually touch the lives of hundreds of parish teens and their parents. Despite her health issues, she was constantly on the move, organizing one event after another - weekly classes, retreats, dinners, festivals, fund-raisers, and the annual trips that came to be a hallmark of the St. Francis youth group experience. She wasn't always the easiest person to work with. She was devoted to her work and had high expectations of those who participated. (There might be a special place in heaven for the legion of youngsters who worked for her over the years.) She could be blunt, but also tender and understanding. She was steadfast, and willing to do whatever it took to help. Craig Patterson, who was part of the youth group for 10 years, remembered her fondly: "She was tough as nails when she had to be, compassionate when she needed to be, and always generous with her time and with every last dollar in her pocket." In a statement announcing her passing, the Diocese of Tucson called Marian the matriarch of youth ministry in the diocese. "Her willingness to host any event and perpetually advocate for youth and those who worked with them was her trademark. She never needed (or wanted) to be speaking in front of everyone but she still influenced countless people in ministry over several generations." She was also unwavering in her love and support for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and drew great pride in their achievements. Marian is survived by her children: Michael Gilbert and his spouse, Shannon, of Tacoma, Wash.; Caren Cooper and her spouse, Lance Samson; Julie Freeh and her spouse, Gerry; and Paul Gilbert and his spouse, Thomas Steele, all of Tucson; grandchildren Dillon and Bebhinn Gilbert and Keavy Schriver and her spouse, Robert; Dan Ellison; Kirsten Sofianos and her spouse, Costas, and Courtney Freeh, Joseph Freeh and his spouse, Elsa, and Maggie and Emily Freeh; and great-grandchildren Hailey and Taylor Ellison and Jaxon Freeh. Marian is also survived by her sisters, Sr. Patricia Tierney of Syracuse, and Julia Mullen of Cleveland, Ohio. She is preceded in death by her parents, James and Marian Tierney, and her brothers and sisters, Marguerite, James, John, Paul, Michael, and Paul, and her granddaughter, Julie. Visitation is 6-9 p.m. Friday at Bring's Broadway Chapel, 6910 E. Broadway Blvd. Funeral Mass is 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Francis de Sales, 1375 S. Camino Seco, with graveside service to follow at Holy Hope Cemetery, 3555 N. Oracle Rd. A reception to celebrate Marian's life will be held at St. Francis following the graveside service. Marian's loved ones extend their deepest gratitude to the doctors and staff at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, particularly her nurses, Candice, Morgan, Amy, and Shirley, for their tender and compassionate care in her final days. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the St. Francis de Sales Youth Group, 1375 S. Camino Seco, Tucson, Ariz. 85710.