Catonsville's George Marshall Remembered As 'Kind and Wonderful, Big-Hearted Man'

Gayle Marshall met her husband, George Marshall, 24 years ago when she was a sales associate at a garden center in Virginia. He was a buyer and a salesman with his company, Patapsco Valley Sales and Supply Company.

But it wasn’t until 18 years after that first meeting, following a long friendship, that they were married. It took awhile for their relationship to evolve, but deepen it did.

“He was just a kind and wonderful, big-hearted man,” said Gayle Tuesday afternoon, as she recalled her husband’s character and life.

Marshall after a man who was allegedly trying to steal a box truck from the family business on Hollins Ferry Road ran him over. George’s brother Jack was also injured in the incident but has since been released from the hospital.

Baltimore city police charged Ellerson Carter, 55, of the 2200 block of Annapolis Road with murder, assault and burglary.

Gayle and George married in 2005 and Gayle moved to Catonsville to Montrose Avenue with her daughter Alden Maynor, who is now in eighth grade at Catonsville Middle School.

Gayle and her daughter felt welcomed into the community, especially by the staff at Hillcrest Elementary School, since Alden was new to the area. The family was also involved in the school's annual plant sale. George would be there all day helping out.

"He just loved doing whatever he could for the kids," Gayle said.

Gayle tended to the backyard vegetable garden, from which George eagerly ate, she said. The family also loved to visit wineries and go the in Catonsville and other outdoor venues.

“No matter where we would go he would always look at people’s pottery," she said.

The two brothers started the pottery business in the late 1970s, building a network of customers and employees that would last 30 years, Gayle said.

George grew up in Baltimore and attended Mount Saint Joseph High School and Loyola University.

“He had always been a salesman, always a people guy,” she said. “People would talk about the Marshall brothers.”

In fact, Jack was back at work Monday, Gayle said, since this is the busy time of year for the business.

In an open letter on the company's website, Jack wrote the following:

"George was a very active component part of the business and carried out a large portion of the daily activities. We are all pulling together to try to fill this void and we ask for your patience as we recover, regroup and reorganize from this devastating tragedy."

Gayle said the family is taking it one day at a time.

Two viewings will be held on Friday at Harry H. Witzke's Family Funeral Home in Ellicott City  from 2-4 p.m. and from 7-9 p.m. A memorial will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m.

The family requested donations in lieu of flowers to Santa Claus Anonymous, a Baltimore-based charity that raises donations for Christmas presents for children. Marshall donated to it every year, Gayle said.