Marcelle M. Haene

June 3, 1935 – February 27, 2022

Marcelle Haene (ne Brechet), the youngest of four sisters, was born June 3, 1935, in Bern, Switzerland to Otto and Yvonne (ne Maitre) Brechet. When Marcelle was three years old, her father moved the family from their first home in Guemligen to a Chalet style home in Guemligen known as "Les Fleurettes" which would become home to all of us for over 65 years.

Her education at hometown and local schools was typical for the time, concentrating on the practical and home economics. Naturally, she was required to help with all the household chores and worked a little at a local farm. Marcelle eventually worked at the Bern Music Store and, later, a year as a nanny in England to improve her English language skills.

Marcelle met Peter Haene for the first time when she was fifteen. They would eventually date, beginning a 7-decade period of love and devotion. They emigrated to Montreal, Canada where they married February 2, 1957. To help ends meet, Marcelle worked in a local music store. Their son, Michael, was born 1958 in Canada while they waited upon approval to emigrate to the USA. Life in the USA began in California, then in Illinois, where their son, Clifford, was born in 1962. A move in pursuit of career advancement brought the family to Maryland in 1972.

Marcelle was completely devoted to the love and care of her family and home. As her two sons got a little older, she would take on new challenges. She attended community college for secretarial skills, typed Peter's business letters, taught English language at a night class for beginners and worked for a period at the Smithsonian Castle in Washington D.C. providing support to an editor of museum literature.

In 1981 we established our first family business, Westover Bakery, in Virginia. Marcelle would operate and manage the retail operations for that location for over 20 years. She served as an officer of PMMC Associates, Inc. which would eventually operate four different retail bakery outlets and a commissary that provided baked goods, cakes and pastries to many area Hotels, Museums, Offices, Caterers and Airlines.

A final move brought Peter and Marcelle to Leesburg, VA to live in a house they had constructed in 1998. They planted flowers and vegetables, visited their cabin in the countryside, enjoyed neighborhood gatherings and dinners, retired, and grew old together; completely in love with, and totally devoted to, each other.

Marcelle is pre-deceased by the great love of her life, Peter, by her sisters Yvette and Lillian, and by her sisters-in-law Esther and Luca. She is survived by her sister Jacqueline; her children Michael and Clifford; her daughter-in-law Lisa; her former daughter-in-law Ana; her grandchildren Isabella, Daniella, Matthew, Nicholas, and Sarah; her grandsons-in-law Dimitrije and Mike, and her great-grandchildren Mihailo and Mila. We all miss you terribly and love you dearly.

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." Proverbs 31:25