Marcia Willis Soergel

Marcia Willis Soergel passed away peacefully at her home in Columbia, MD on Monday, October 27, 2025 with her husband, Philip Soergel, by her side after a long battle with lung cancer.

Born to William and Irene Willis on February 7, 1956, in a driving blizzard that prevented her father from being at the hospital, Marcia graduated from East Longmeadow High School in 1974 and then attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, graduating with a B.S. in 1977. After working in the communities around Springfield, Massachusetts, for several years, Marcia picked up roots and headed west to the University of Michigan, where she not only earned a Master's of Social Work in 1981, but met the love of her life, Philip Soergel, whom she wed on May 28, 1983.

Eager to experience all that life had to offer, Marcia and Philip moved shortly after marrying to Germany—a country where she didn’t yet speak the language, at a time when few Germans spoke English. Undaunted, Marcia embraced the adventure, immersing herself in life abroad. Over the years, the couple traveled widely throughout Europe, but Marcia felt most at home in her beloved Paris, where she could be found strolling through the Jardin du Luxembourg or savoring her favorite steak frites at a neighborhood brasserie.

Marcia’s deep compassion for others shone through her work as a social worker and her devotion as a mother to her two children, Elizabeth and William. Over the course of her career, she served communities in Massachusetts, Michigan, Arizona, and Maryland, touching the lives of countless families and clients.

An avid reader, an exceptional cook and baker, and a sparkling conversationalist, Marcia brightened every room she entered with her warmth and wit. She was the queen of pies at every holiday, often turning out a half-dozen or more to share with family and friends. Marcia will be tremendously missed by all those who knew and loved her.

Marcia was predeceased by her parents, William and Irene Willis. She is survived by her husband, Philip Mark Soergel; her children, Elizabeth Kuhlman and her husband Michael, and William Soergel and their husband Oliver Armstrong; her brothers, Mark (Laura) Willis and Matthew (Annette) Willis; and her sister, Maura (Bill) Terbush—as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Friends and family are invited to attend the visitation on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and on Wednesday, November 5 from 10:00 to 11:00 AM at Donaldson Funeral Home of Clarksville (12540 Clarksville Pike, Clarksville, MD 21029). The Funeral service will take place at 11:00 AM on November 5, 2025, at the funeral home, with interment to follow at Linthicum Chapel Cemetery (12155 Clarksville Pike, Clarksville, MD 21029).

For those who can not attend the funeral service in person and would like to watch the live-streaming of this service at the scheduled time please click HERE.