Margaret (Marne) Rawson Gannon, 93, passed from this life on March 5 to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, after a brief struggle with leukemia. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas F. Gannon, Jr. (US Army Major, Retired) in 1973 and her eldest son, Thomas F. Gannon III in 2003. Marne is survived by five children, Patrick Gannon, Molly Alter, Meg Brooks, KC Gannon, and Kim Gannon, and by nine grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. Marne is also survived by her sister, Helen Kirshman of Long Beach, CA, who is 103, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Marne was the first female Christian radio broadcaster in the Tennessee Valley. During the 1980s and 1990s she ministered to thousands of people with her Sunday evening music on WNDA. A resident of Huntsville for over 56 years, she was an active member of the Redstone Arsenal Post Chapel and Bicentennial Chapel, and loved being with her friends at the Protest Women of the Chapel (PWOC). Marne’s passion for horses will be remembered by all who knew her. She was a devoted equestrian, riding and boarding her beloved horses at the Redstone Arsenal Saddle Club. She was also an avid supporter of Fantasy Playhouse and introduced three generations of her family to the love of theater. She was born in Portland, Oregon on December 22, 1919. She attended the University of Oregon and worked for IBM during WWII. She remained vital and active her entire life and loved using email (“RadioGrandma”) to stay in touch with family and friends. She was an inspiration and a joy to all. Memorials may be made to Fantasy Playhouse (256-539-6829) or the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (http://www.pathintl.org/). A memorial service will be held at Central Seventh Adventist Church on Thursday, 7 March, at 2:00 PM.
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