Marcia "Marcy" Kay Reiland Obituary (1956

Marcia "Marcy" Kay Reiland passed away peacefully on October 6, 2020 with family at her side after a courageous battle with brain cancer. Marcy faced this battle with such grace and maintained her strong faith in God throughout her illness. Marcy was a wonderful and loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and friend who touched many lives. Marcy's philosophy of life is summarized in the statement, 'Life is to love; to love is to live'. Living out that philosophy of life is her legacy. Marcy was born to Glen and Margaret Symons on September 24, 1956 in Madison, Wisconsin. She graduated high school in Baraboo, WI and went on to attend the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse where she met the love of her life, Steve Reiland. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 1978. She married Steve on June 24, 1978 in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Marcy and Steve had their first daughter, Sarah, in Wisconsin. They then decided to move to the other side of the world to serve God as missionaries in Africa for several years. During that time, they welcomed two more daughters, Katherine and Kimberly, and Marcy took on the primary responsibilities of raising the children in an often-challenging environment that included run-ins with baboons, fire ants, and cobras! In 1986, Marcy and Steve moved back to the United States to be closer to family and settled in Neillsville, Wisconsin where they then adopted their son, Gregory, from Haiti. Ten years later, Steve's work took the family to Silverdale, WA. Marcy went on to graduate with her Master's in Psychological Counseling from the City University in Seattle and then worked as a mental health therapist for many years before retiring in 2017. Marcy had great joy in the simple pleasures of life. In fact, she often told her family her goal was to live in a yurt after retirement. She loved going for walks, camping, traveling, and hiking. She loved words and was an extremely talented writer and an avid reader. She was able to go on many adventures with Steve, her children, and grandchildren. She would never turn down a weekend getaway to a new place. She made the world brighter and her laughter and sense of humor were contagious to all around her. She maintained this sense of humor throughout her battle with cancer, gifting her family with priceless memories. Marcy is preceded in death by her father, Glen Symons, and stepfather, Don Pardun. Marcy is survived by her husband, Steve; mother, Margaret; daughters, Sarah, Katherine, and Kimberly; son Gregory; brothers, Gary and Gregory; and grandchildren, Krislynn, Leah, Liam, Eli, and Amelia. Her family loved her deeply and will cherish the beautiful memories she bestowed on them. A Celebration of Life will be held privately by the family, with arrangements entrusted to the Lewis Chapel in Bremerton, WA.