Marianne Maloney Dowling
The contagious laughter of Marianne Maloney Dowling, 79, of Scarsdale, NY, Tiburon, CA, St. Petersburg, FL, and Prospect Harbor, ME, fell silent on Jan. 30, 2021.
Marianne was born to Elmer and Mary Maloney of Scarsdale on Dec. 13, 1941, seven days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Beloved by all, she possessed an unmatched, indomitable spirit and zest for life, along with an uncanny ability to define every word in the English dictionary. Best known for her quick wit, keen intelligence, easy laugh, unflappable balance and sense of adventure, Marianne’s steadfast dedication to her family and friends and her abundant energy were equally as impressive as her savant-like knowledge of history.
She is survived by her two daughters, Anne Dowling (Derek Hess) of St. Petersburg and Katherine Dowling (Marc Axelbaum) of Tiburon; five grandchildren — all of whom she taught to read — William, Oliver, Charles, Cameron and Phoebe; sister Carol Connors of Somers, N.Y.; brother Raymond Maloney of Tucson, AZ; and her former husband Roderick Dowling of Atlanta, GA, with whom she remained lifelong friends. She was pre-deceased by her older brother, Christopher Maloney.
As a third child, Marianne was fiercely independent and capable. She shared fond memories of summer camp in Maine, where she learned wilderness skills and became a junior Maine guide, instilling an eternal adoration of a state with a motto that fittingly means “I lead,” as she so often did in life. She was an honors graduate of The Annunciation School, The Ursuline School, Manhattanville College and Fordham University School of Law, where she was the only woman in her graduating class and where she was invited to join the law review, which she politely declined because “it didn’t sound like much fun.”
She began her career at Mutual of New York (MONY) in Manhattan, after which she was recruited by the former governor of Georgia, Carl Sanders, to join his firm, Troutman, Sanders, Lockerman & Ashmore as its first female partner, and one of the first female partner at a large law firm in Georgia. She later returned to MONY, where she ultimately retired as vice president of diversified operations, only to re-emerge a few years later to help oversee an insurance firm and later a fabric-design company called Town Toiles.
On Feb. 24, 2021 Marianne’s closest family and friends gathered virtually to commemorate her life by sharing laughter, memories, photos, videos, letters, newspaper clippings and personal stories in a heartwarming tribute to an inspirational tour de force her five lucky grandchildren knew as “Gia.” An in-person celebration featuring laughter, New York strip, pie and some of the simple pleasures Marianne cherished will take place at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made in Marianne’s memory to a scholarship fund for women that is being formed in her honor at Fordham Law School. Contributions can be made online at law.fordham.edu/giving or by calling (212)-636-6529. Additionally, checks may be mailed to: Development Office, Fordham Law School, 150 West 62nd St., 8th Floor, New York, NY 10023.