Marilee Faust Oberheu

Celebration of Life
Marilee Faust Oberheu
August 1, 1936 – August 27, 2013

Kiawah Island, SC - Marilee Faust Oberheu, age 77, passed away peacefully at home following a long and courageous journey with vascular dementia – a disease that took her life but never her smile, sense of humor or her kind and gentle spirit.
She was born Mary Lee Faust on August 1, 1936 in Dayton, Ohio, the daughter of Gerard “Fuzzy” Faust and Alma Eiben Faust. Marilee graduated from Our Lady of Mercy Elementary School in 1950 and from Julienne (now Chaminade-Julienne) High School in 1954. At age 17, it was Marilee’s wish to combine her first and middle birth names and spell her name Marilee.
Marilee continued her education and graduated from The University of Dayton in 1958 where she majored in Education and minored in Pre-Med. As Valedictorian of her Graduation Class, she began her Commencement Speech with “Welcome Welcome Welcome…” a phrase that would open her speech at future class reunions and would forever remain a family favorite as she would often use the phrase to greet family and friends when they would visit.
During her years at The University of Dayton, Marilee was selected to dance on The Flyerette Dance Team, elected Homecoming Queen her Junior year and in her Senior year after a nationwide search was selected by Delmonico Noodle Company to be their Collegiate Spokesperson and Noodle Queen which afforded her the opportunity to travel throughout the Midwest and encourage high school students to attend college.
Also in Marilee’s Senior year at The University of Dayton, she was selected as one of the first women to receive The Woodward Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Award which offered talented students the opportunity to attend doctoral programs and begin college teaching careers – an award that traditionally had been given to only men.
From 1958 to 1960, Marilee taught English and Biology at Colonel White and Fairmont High Schools. Norman Mayne and Ken Schrieber are two notable students of Marilee’s who became lifelong friends, along with their families, to Marilee and her family - each showing their respect and admiration for her inspiration over the years.
The summer of 1960, Marilee traveled to Madison, Wisconsin to visit a friend at The University of Wisconsin Medical School and while on a double date she met the love of her life, Kenneth Oberheu, a Senior Medical Student. Marilee was able to convince her parents to leave her teaching job in Dayton and stay in Madison to pursue her relationship with Ken and where she became Secretary to The Dean of The Medical School. Ken graduated from Medical School on June 5, 1961 and Marilee and Ken married on June 10, 1961.
From 1961 to 1966, Marilee and Ken returned to Marilee’s hometown of Dayton, Ohio where Ken completed a five year internship and surgical residency at Miami Valley Hospital during which time they became proud parents to Anne Marie and Ken Jr. From 1966 to 1968, Marilee and Ken moved their family to Ann Arbor, Michigan where Ken completed a two year cardiovascular residency at The University of Michigan during which they welcomed Kristin Marie to their family. Marilee and Ken returned to Dayton in 1968 where Ken started Miami Valley Hospital’s Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Program and they welcomed their last child, Marilee Molly.

With Ken and family in place, Marilee re-established her roots in Dayton and became a community leader in her support of the arts and education and she enjoyed time spent with her tennis and bridge groups. For many years, Marilee served on The Dayton Art Institute Oktoberfest Planning Committee – the museum’s largest fundraiser of the year, The University of Dayton College of Arts and Science Advisory Council, The Advisory Board of The University of Dayton Law School and she held the first fundraiser for the great collection of Creches at The University of Dayton Marian Library.

Marilee and Ken’s family home in Dayton (Coeur Joie – French for “Joyful Heart”) was a popular venue for fundraisers and where special memories were created with family and friends for 30 years before they turned their family vacation home of 35 years at Kiawah Island into their primary residence when Ken retired from surgery. Kiawah Island will always remain a special place to The Oberheu Family where an endless list of special family occasions and holidays were celebrated and summer months enjoyed.
Marilee’s most honored roles in life were that of a wife who supported and encouraged her husband’s passion and dedication to advance cardiovascular and thoracic surgery and treat the sick; and as a hands-on mom to four children all close in age who she always found time to be their home room mother, field trip chaperone, social and activity coordinator and driver, special occasion party planner extraordinaire and greatest cheerleader during the good and challenging times in life.
Marilee was an avid football fan which began with her father, Gerard “Fuzzy” Faust, the legendary football coach at Chaminade High School and her brother, Gerry Faust, former head football coach at Moeller High School followed by The University of Notre Dame and The University of Akron. The Notre Dame Fight Song and Alma Mater song – Notre Dame, Our Mother - will always have a special meaning to The Oberheu Family. Marilee was also an avid fan of her brother, Fred, a retired and respected dentist and implant surgeon who with his wife, Laurie, were a tremendous help to The Oberheu Family the past year for which the family is grateful.

Marilee was a beautiful person inside and out and with her love of faith, family and friends she carried love, laughter and happiness wherever she went – she knew no stranger.
Marilee was preceded in death by her father, Gerard “Fuzzy” Faust, and mother, Alma Eiben Faust. She is survived by her husband of 52 years Kenneth Sr.; daughter Anne Marie Oberheu M.D. and her husband Tom Plouff of Birmingham, AL and their children Lauren and Caroline; son Kenneth Oberheu Jr. of Beaufort, SC; daughter Kristin Marie Oberheu Corn and her husband Jeff of Mooresville, NC; daughter Marilee Molly Oberheu Webster and her husband Dave of Charlotte, NC and their children McKenzie and Gabrielle; brother Gerry Faust and his wife Marlene of Akron, OH; brother Fred Faust and his wife Laurie of Kiawah Island, SC; sister-in-law Catherine Oberheu Snider and her husband Bruce of Harlingen, TX; brother-in-law James Oberheu and his wife Sherry of Cedarburg, WI; nieces and nephews and a broad group of friends who Marilee will continue to love and protect as God’s Special Angel until they are reunited in Heaven.
The family will receive friends on Friday, August 30, 2013 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Westbrock Funeral Home located at 1712 Wayne Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45410. A Catholic Mass of Christian Burial to Celebrate Marilee’s Life will be held on Saturday, August 31, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Angels Catholic Church located at 1322 Brown Street, Dayton, Ohio 45409. Condolences to the family may be offered at www.westbrockfuneralhome.com . In lieu of flowers, a donation in Marilee’s memory may be made to The Creche Collection at The University of Dayton Marian Library. Please make checks payable to The "University of Dayton" and reference in Memory of Marilee Faust Oberheu. Mailing address: University Advancement, 300 College Park, Dayton, Ohio, 45462. Donations can also be made online at givenow.udayton.edu.