Marlene Harthman was born on July 5, 1961 in NY Presbyterian Hospital. From day 1, she was a true New Yorker, proudly stating that as a child she grew up from humble beginnings in Washington Heights. Later, as she grew older, she moved out of the Heights and into an area of the Bronx, known as Riverdale, to spread her wings and take her dreams to greater levels.

She was the eldest of Austin and Mercedes Harthman's two children and was pleased to say that her teenage years were spent roaming the halls of Aquinas High School in the Bronx or as she would call it her home away from home. Upon graduating high school, Marlene went on continue her education at Farmingdale College in Long Island with a Bachelor’s degree.

In addition to her love for NYC, Marlene was also always a great lover of the beach and the ocean. As a child, she spent many summers by the water while visiting her beloved grandparents in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Oftentimes, she would recollect about the crisp clear blue waters and her love of the warm and welcoming Caribbean breeze on her face. When she wasn’t jet setting the world outside of the U.S. island territories she was spending her weekends visiting her parents in Rockaway or staying for extended summers in Lavallette on the Jersey Shore. In times of adversity, the beach was her place of refuge and she thoroughly enjoyed every minute swimming and hanging out with her friends and family.

Marlene was a fabulous mother to her three children, Gene, Brendan and Jackie. She raised them on her own with the help of her parents. She devoted her entire life to raising her children. She spent countless hours helping them with school work, taking them to karate classes and basketball practices and games. They were a very tight knit family with Marlene's intense love for all three always felt by everyone who came in contact with her. She took them on trips throughout their lives and they shared wonderful experiences together. Marlene's children were a source of extreme pride and satisfaction and she loved each of them with all of her heart. Her love to her children was totally unconditional and she would do anything for them.

Marlene was an unbelievable person. When she befriended you, you became a life long friend... and speaking of friends, Marlene had many close friends who she shared her life with. From her 20’s through her 50’s, Marlene was always there for her friends and she always could be counted on to lend a helping hand or provide comfort. Marlene loved her friends and treated many as her sister. In return, Marlene was truly loved and adored by them too.

Speaking of unconditional love, in her 50’s, Marlene met a man who she fell deeply in love with — Michael. They found true love and enjoyed being with each other immensely. Marlene and Michael — better known as “the M and M couple” — loved living life to the utmost. They traveled the world visiting Europe multiple times and spent most of their ventures in the American Southwest enjoying the National Parks. Furthermore, they also loved their music and attended hundreds of concerts from New York City to to London to Tuscany. They were always traveling and ridiculously on the go. They did more in the five years they were together than most couples do in an entire lifetime. In June 2019, they got engaged and were planning to be married this June in St. Thomas. They loved each other totally and completely —-to infinity and beyond.

But to get to the essence of Marlene, all you need to do is to ask anyone who got to know her or was fortunate enough to call her their friend about her and I’m sure they’ll give you an earful. Marlene had the biggest heart and was the most loving and caring individual you ever knew. From her friends to her three children to her fiancé Michael, Marlene was their best friend. Marlene loved life and everyone who knew her could tell you that she was one of a kind. She brought immense joy and deep love into the lives of everyone. Marlene will be deeply missed and now that she is gone there will be am enormous void that can never be filled or replaced.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to one of the leading lung cancer charities - https://lungevity.orgMarlene Harthman.

Reposing Thursday 4-8 pm at Riverdale-on-Hudson Funeral Home 6110 Riverdale Ave. Bronx, NY.  Mass of Christian Burial Friday 10:00 am at St. Gabriel’s Church.  Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery.