Obituary for Marian W. Rief
RIEF, Marian "Didi"
RIEF, Marian W. "Didi" passed away on October 7, 2007. She is survived by her husband, Sandy; her daughters, Elizabeth and Katie; her mother, Jane F. White; her brother, Eddie and his wife and daughter, Gwen and Jesse; her brother-in-law, John, and his wife and son, Exa and Chris, her niece Kimberly, her nephew John Daniel and her many friends. Didi was born in Charlotte, NC and was raised in Winston-Salem, NC. She graduated from Salem Academy and Wake Forest University. Didi and Sandy met at Wake Forest and were married in the summer of 1968 before Sandy's third year of law school. They enjoyed living for a year in Greenwich Village, while Sandy attended NYU, and spent the next year in Washington, D.C. Didi and Sandy moved to Tampa in 1972, and she immediately became involved with the Friends of the Arts at the Tampa Bay Arts Center (TBAC), the Florida Gulf Coast Symphony Guild and the Tampa Junior Museum. She was or had been a member of the Friends of the Arts (President 1974-1975), the Guilders, Las Dames des Arte and the Golf View Garden Club (President 1980-1982.) Didi was a representative of the Junior Museum on the merger board with the TBAC that established The Tampa Museum of Art, and Didi was the Board member who suggested the Founder Membership for the new Tampa Museum. Didi served on the Board of The Home Association and was the President of the Board from 1992-1994. Her civic involvement also included a term on the Police Chief's Advisory Council. Didi was an enthusiastic genealogist. She was a member of the DeSoto Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Edmund Sheffield Chapter of the National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century and The Jamestown Society. She served on the Council of the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston. Her love of family history can be traced to her great grandmother, who wrote a definitive monograph on the Thornton family. Didi enjoyed nothing better than researching one of the many families in her family tree and reading (and rereading) one of the many books in her extensive library. She was always interested in the family history of the people she met, and was often heard to say, "they are one of ours." Didi thoroughly enjoyed her daughters "E.J." and Katie and was involved with their schools, St. John's Episcopal Day School, Tampa Preparatory School and Wake Forest University, and many of their other activities. She was also involved in the schools that she attended and served on the national Alumni Councils for both Salem Academy and Wake Forest University. Didi was always available to talk with a young person who had interest in either of her alma maters. A memorial service will be held at 11a.m. on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at St. John's Episcopal Church, 906 South Orleans Avenue in Tampa. In lieu of flowers the family suggests that contributions be made to the Tampa Bay History Center Fund at The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, Suite 301, 550 North Reo St, Tampa, FL 33609 , the Friends of the Library at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, FL 34234, or to a charity of your choice.
Funeral Information
A memorial service will be held at 11a.m. on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at St. John's Episcopal Church, 906 South Orleans Avenue in Tampa.
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RIEF, Marian W. "Didi" passed away on October 7, 2007. She is survived by her husband, Sandy; her daughters, Elizabeth and Katie; her mother, Jane F. White; her brother, Eddie and his wife and daughter, Gwen and Jesse; her brother-in-law, John, and his wife and son, Exa and Chris, her niece Kimberly, her nephew John Daniel and her many friends. Didi was born in Charlotte, NC and was raised in Winston-Salem, NC. She graduated from Salem Academy and Wake Forest University. Didi and Sandy met at Wake Forest and were married in the summer of 1968 before Sandy's third year of law school. They enjoyed living for a year in Greenwich Village, while Sandy attended NYU, and spent the next year in Washington, D.C. Didi and Sandy moved to Tampa in 1972, and she immediately became involved with the Friends of the Arts at the Tampa Bay Arts Center (TBAC), the Florida Gulf Coast Symphony Guild and the Tampa Junior Museum. She was or had been a member of the Friends of the Arts (President 1974-1975), the Guilders, Las Dames des Arte and the Golf View Garden Club (President 1980-1982.) Didi was a representative of the Junior Museum on the merger board with the TBAC that established The Tampa Museum of Art, and Didi was the Board member who suggested the Founder Membership for the new Tampa Museum. Didi served on the Board of The Home Association and was the President of the Board from 1992-1994. Her civic involvement also included a term on the Police Chief's Advisory Council. Didi was an enthusiastic genealogist. She was a member of the DeSoto Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Edmund Sheffield Chapter of the National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century and The Jamestown Society. She served on the Council of the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston. Her love of family history can be traced to her great grandmother, who wrote a definitive monograph on the Thornton family. Didi enjoyed nothing better than researching one of the many families in her family tree and reading (and rereading) one of the many books in her extensive library. She was always interested in the family history of the people she met, and was often heard to say, "they are one of ours." Didi thoroughly enjoyed her daughters "E.J." and Katie and was involved with their schools, St. John's Episcopal Day School, Tampa Preparatory School and Wake Forest University, and many of their other activities. She was also involved in the schools that she attended and served on the national Alumni Councils for both Salem Academy and Wake Forest University. Didi was always available to talk with a young person who had interest in either of her alma maters. A memorial service will be held at 11a.m. on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at St. John's Episcopal Church, 906 South Orleans Avenue in Tampa. In lieu of flowers the family suggests that contributions be made to the Tampa Bay History Center Fund at The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, Suite 301, 550 North Reo St, Tampa, FL 33609 , the Friends of the Library at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, FL 34234, or to a charity of your choice.
Funeral Information
A memorial service will be held at 11a.m. on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at St. John's Episcopal Church, 906 South Orleans Avenue in Tampa.
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