Kathy Marley and one of her grandchildren.
She was a prickly pear. In the best sense possible.
Kathy Marley was always more about butt-kickin’ than butt-kissin’.
The very first customer I ever had at Videoville, on Oct. 4, 1994, she became a third mom (Miriam Meyer, who owned the store, was my second mom).
Over the years, if she said one thing to me more than anything else it was a short, sardonic “Stop being an idiot!” while cocking an eyebrow at me.
Followed by a smile and a smack to the back of the head.
She said that many, many, maaaaannnnnnnyyyyy times to me, and, to her credit, kept on saying it long after she had figured out I was always going to be an idiot, regardless of what she said or did.
There were times when we saw each other on a daily basis, and times when months would go by without any contact, but Mrs. Marley was always there for me, easy to reach and always willing to be chafed … to a point.
She tried her best to get me to be more responsible, with my money and my decisions in life. But she also let me fall flat on my face when it was needed, because how else do you learn.
When I was at my best, during the glory days of renting 500 VHS films on a Friday night in Cow Town, she was there.
When I was at my worst, working 10-hour days without a break for 144 days in a row and throwing my money away on DVD’s instead of food and propane, compromising my health and sanity for a stupid vendetta over a silly off-hand comment, she was there.
Except when she would go to the food bank and then slide by, leaving food in the back of my car, without saying anything about it.
She was a rock, to her family, to friends, to those of us who she decided, against her better judgement, to adopt.
She was tough love with a sardonic smile. A good woman whose body gave out long before her spirit ever did.
She will be missed, greatly.
And, from time to time, if some of you feel like smacking me in the back of the head, go ahead and cap it by saying “Mrs. Marley says hi. Now stop being an idiot.”
Cause that’s the way she would have wanted it.
Coupeville Sports 