Marie Bukrey, 79, of King and Queen County, passed away on December 20, 2024. She was the daughter of Joseph and Audrey Bukrey and grew up in Grand Rapids, MI.
Marie grew up attending Catholic parochial school, where she excelled as an attentive and high-achieving student. As the second oldest of six children and the eldest daughter, she embraced a nurturing role, often helping her mother care for her younger siblings. She cherished the joys of childhood, especially ice skating, tobogganing, and spending quality time lake fishing with her father.
After graduating high school, Marie proudly served in the United States Navy as a Navy Corpsman, where she met her first husband, Robert Patton. They married in 1967, and soon after, she embraced her role as a mother and homemaker, leaving the Service and dedicating herself to raising her three daughters. She sewed clothes, knitted scarves, and crocheted intricate Afghan blankets. Beyond her domestic talents, she was an avid reader, a passionate cribbage and bridge player, a skilled lap swimmer, and a league bowler.
When her youngest daughter started school, Marie pursued her college education in computer programming, eventually embarking on a distinguished career in federal civil service. She served as a computer specialist at Bremerton Naval Hospital before contributing her expertise to various Navy commands in the Washington, D.C., metro area. Her intellect and dedication shone brightly in every role she undertook.
After her first marriage ended in 1990, she found love again and married Joseph Vivirito in 1991. Together, they enjoyed traveling countryside in their recreational trailer. She attended unforgettable Neil Diamond concerts. While their marriage ended in 2002, these years were filled with joyful adventures and cherished memories.
In 2005, Marie retired from civil service and began a new chapter of her life in Florida, later splitting her time in the Virginia Tidewater area with her loving partner, Larry Brooks. While in Florida, she relished being grandmother to her grandson, CJ. Eventually, she settled in Virginia full-time with Larry, where she found peace and joy in the countryside. She adored watching birds and had hummingbird feeders close to the house windows for viewing, caring for a clowder of feral cats—particularly a beloved calico she named Peaches—and experimenting with new crochet patterns to create beautiful Afghan blankets. Always one for a little thrill, Marie enjoyed playing chickenfoot dominoes and bingo, trying her luck at casinos, and never turned down a lottery scratch-off.
Marie was preceded in death by her parents Audrey (Lewis) Bukrey (1988 aged 63) and Joseph Bukrey (1994 aged 76).
She is survived by her partner Larry Brooks; her daughters – Nanette Patton, Alycia Klein (and her husband John Klein), and Francesca Harris (and her husband David Harris); her grandchildren – Suzanne Daigle, Abigayle Klein, Charles Harris, and Jai Klein; her siblings – James Bukrey (and his wife, Susie Bukrey), Barbara Brill, Louise Bukrey, Michael Bukrey, and Anthony Bukrey; and a host of other relatives and friends.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made to Lower King and Queen Baptist church c/o T.O. Longest, P.O. Box 126, King and Queen Courthouse, VA 23085 or to the Indian Rivers Humane Society, P.O. Box 264, Aylett, VA 23009.
