In Memory
Survived By: Her daughter, Karin Gottshall; her mother, Norma Soden Andrew; her sister Roberta (Bobby) Soden Brill, class of 1964; her brother, Timothy Soden-Groves.
Marybeth was the daughter of LTC Robert Soden (deceased) and Norma Soden Andrew and grew up in various locations throughout the United States, Germany and Korea. She attended the SAHS reunion in Washington D.C. in September 2013, just months before she was diagnosed with what would become terminal cancer. She received a B.A. from Michigan State University and raised her daughter in East Lansing, Michigan, before moving to Columbia County, New York, in the early 1990's. Marybeth held various jobs during her life, but her vocation was art. Her paintings emobody her pleasure in composition and the qualities of color and light. She also loved to work in her garden and was a talented guitarist and singer.
Shared by Marybeth's sister, Roberta SAHS '66, August 1, 2014
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SAHS-Reunion.com is sad to announce that Marybeth SODEN Gotshall, class of 1966, died on July 23, 2014. It was her 66th birthday.
Sally HARRIS Smith also received an email from Marybeth's daughter as follows:
This is Marybeth's daughter Karin Gottshall. Thanks to those who wrote to wish her a happy birthday. I have to report the sad news that Mom passed away peacefully this morning at Albany Medical Center, after battling renal cell carcinoma since her diagnosis in February. We are all heartbroken and lost. It seems both very sad and very touching that she died on her birthday. Thank you all for your friendship to her over the years; I'm very sorry to have to share this bad news. I will post here when we have a date, time, and place for her memorial service. {SAHS-Reunion.com will send out information once it is known and we get it in time.)
Below picture taken at the 2012 DC Reunion for the classes of the 60s.
Bill Everson (1967)
Marybeth, I cannot believe you are not with us anymore. We had such a good time at the 2012 reunion talking family, cosmology and so much else! I've shed more than a few tears since receiving this news. My heart goes out to Karin and the rest of the family. This news highlights the value of the reunions and the importance of having them as often as we possibly can.
With sadness,
Bill Everson
Sally Harris (Smith) (1966)
You were a wonderful friend to me in Korea. Actually, my best friend! I am so glad we got to meet up one last time at the 2012 reunion. I understand that when we are in heaven that we'll be young forever, so let's be 16 again....Love Ya Lots, as you always said to me.
Greg Dess (1966)
Dear Karin,
I would like to express my condolences at the passing of your mother. I was a "dorm kid", so I didn't get to know the Seoul kids as much but I remember your mother as a very kind and wonderful person. After I got the sad announcement, I looked at my 1966 yearbook (I guess us old folks keep track of that :-) ) and I saw where she wrote a very kind note to me.
Clearly, it is a sad time for you and her family. And, it is also time to celebrate a life well lived!
Sincerely,
Greg Dess, SAHS '66
Ray Palmer (1966)
Dear Karin,
I also would like to express my condolences to you and all the family members of Marybeth Soden (Gottshall) family. As with Greg Dess I too was a "Dorm Kid" and I have many great memories during my time at SAHS and one of them was when Marybeth and I were in the same Driver's Ed class with Mr Dobovsky as our driving teacher. I remember her saying many times over and over, "we're gonna crash!" We all laughed so hard. Your Mom signed my yearbook using a whole page reflecting all the good times we all had at school. Your Mom was a great person and I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity of knowing her.
Sincerely,
Ray Palmer, SAHS '66