In Memoriam: Preoteasa Marina Marie Scala Ficken
On April 8, 2010, with her family at her side, Preoteasa Marie Ficken fell asleep in the Lord at Fairfax Inova Hospital after a stroke suffered April 3 in the evening before Pascha services.
She was born August 11, 1918 in Regina, SK, Canada, one of twelve children of John and Mary Tudor. She married Father Theodosie Scala, a Romanian Orthodox priest, in 1940 in Regina, moving with him over the years to Nebraska, Michigan, and Massachusetts where he established parishes. They moved to Washington, DC in 1960 and established the parish of Holy Cross, Alexandria, VA. Father Theodosie passed away in 1967. She later married Rudolph W. Ficken, who died in 1992.
Preoteasa Marie was an accomplished musician, composer, and choir conductor, founding church choirs at several parishes. Her Pan-Orthodox Madrigal Choir performed at the White House, the Supreme Court, the Kennedy Center and the National Cathedral, and she was a founder of the “Festival of Choirs” in 1975. Several times she conducted as many as 200 choir members at the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers. She was recognized by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius in 1988 for her “dedicated stewardship of time, labor and talent for the Holy Orthodox Church and its people.”
She is survived by her two children, Armand A. Scala and Antoinette S. Robertson, and their spouses, Christina Y. Scala and Thomas B. Robertson; her stepson, Rudolph W. Ficken, Jr., and his wife Jill; three grandchildren, Armand A. Scala II, Thomas G. Robertson, and Elizabeth T. Robertson; and hundreds of loving family and friends inspired by her life, her music, and her example.
Visitation will be held at Saint Mary Orthodox Church, Falls Church, VA, on Tuesday, April 13, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. with a memorial service at 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at the church, located at 7223 Roosevelt Ave, Falls Church, on April 14 at 11:00 a.m., with interment to follow at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington.
May Preoteasa Marie’s memory be eternal!