Marsha Cosby Cetti, 76, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Saturday morning, July 7, 2018, in her Carrollton, Georgia home.

Born in Troy, Alabama, Marsha—the eldest daughter of Robert Arthur Yancey Cosby and Mildred McCalman Cosby—was well known for her gentle loving kindness, extraordinary generosity, commitment to family, devotion to teaching and the arts, and Christian faith. Following her father’s untimely death in 1955, 13-year-old Marsha, her mother, and her younger sister Regina relocated from Troy to Pensacola, Florida. There, Marsha attended Pensacola High School, where she joined Bill Holston’s Fighting Tigers marching band and discovered one of her life’s greatest joys: music. Shortly after graduation, Marsha married Charles L. Cetti, a Pensacola native, and they began their family in 1961. After a brief tenure in Tampa, Florida, to launch his career, the couple returned to Pensacola with their three daughters. There, Marsha discovered her life-long passion for teaching and helping others. In order to earn her teaching degree and succeed her mother as a professional educator, Marsha and her mother, along with Marsha’s three teenaged daughters, moved back to Troy in 1979. Following her relocation, Marsha welcomed a fourth daughter into the fold, by way of adoption. The family grew larger still when Marsha’s mother married again in 1980. Marsha quickly immersed herself in her studies, earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, before embarking on her new teaching career. Following her highly successful stint at Troy State University, in the mid-1980s, Marsha—together with her mother, stepfather, and fourth daughter—relocated to Carrollton, Georgia, where she began a long and fulfilling career as a talented and beloved English teacher at Central High School. Officially becoming an adoptive parent once again in the early 2000s, Marsha welcomed yet another daughter into her family, teaching and nourishing her as she had done with each of her other daughters and the scores of students who had the privilege of learning from her during her 25+ years-long teaching career. Following her 2008 retirement from public school teaching Marsha continued to offer help and support to all who asked for it—often acting as a substitute teacher, mentor, or counselor–when needed. She also devoted herself to spending time with the family and friends she loved and treasured the chance to connect with distant relatives and lifelong friends through social media. Additionally, she enjoyed rediscovering favorite hobbies, such as: reading, listening to music, sewing, gardening, watching movies, trying new foods, trouncing family and friends in Jeopardy and late-night card games, crafting, researching and recording family history, and traveling—especially to western North Carolina, a perineal favorite destination for rest and relaxation.

Throughout her life, Marsha demonstrated a passionate commitment to her community. One of her most cherished missions was sharing the love of Christ with others. She took part in a wide variety of service opportunities as a member of several local congregations—including First Baptist Church of Pensacola, First Baptist Church of Troy, and Tabernacle Baptist Church of Carrollton. She was especially well known for her roles as preschool choir director, Acteens leader, and administrative assistant to the youth minister. Marsha also actively supported and contributed to a number of secular charitable and civic organizations, among them: The Girl Scouts of America, Jerry Lewis’ Muscular Dystrophy Association, The Wounded Warrior Project, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and The Carroll County Child Advocacy Center. But her greatest love and care was lavished on her family. A devoted daughter, sister, mother, aunt, cousin, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Marsha will forever be remembered for consistently putting others’ needs ahead of her own, so that her family would know that they were loved, and would experience the love of Jesus first-hand. No sacrifice was too costly to make, wrong too egregious to try and make right, misdeed too hurtful to refuse forgiveness, nor soul too lost to offer the hope needed to carry on living. She truly was an inspiration to nearly everyone she met.

Marsha is survived by one sister: Regina C. King of Newnan, Georgia, as well as five daughters and their spouses: Melanie Cetti of Anniston, Alabama; Anne C. Youngblood and her husband Wyatt A. Youngblood of Elgin, South Carolina; Elizabeth C. Jones and her husband Kevin C. Jones of Knoxville, Tennessee; Juliana I. Epolito and her husband James G. Epolito of Clermont, Florida; and Margaret G. DiRoma of Carrollton, Georgia. She also leaves behind 12 grandchildren: Anna Clark and her husband Andrew Jones of Carrollton, Georgia; Camille Vinyard and her husband Aaron Vinyard of St. Petersburg, Florida; Alan Youngblood and Grace Youngblood of Columbia, South Carolina; Reilly Raftery of Oregon, Braxton Jones of Knoxville, Tennessee; Cullen Jones of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Kathleen S. Heifner and her husband Steve Heifner of Andersonville, Tennessee; Bailey Jones of Cleveland, Tennessee; Aria Epolito, Gianna Epolito, and Tessa Epolito of Clermont, Florida; three great-granddaughters: Paris Raftery and Brigette Raftery of Oregon, Sophia Heifner of Andersonville, Tennessee; and one great-grandson: James Brittle of Oregon. She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert A. Y. Cosby and Mildred M. C. Stewart, brother Michael Cosby, half-sister Gwendolyn Pitts, her stepfather, Shelby L. Stewart, and brother-in-law, J. Willard King.

The family will receive friends at Tabernacle Baptist Church, from 2-3:30pm on Saturday, August 4th. Her life will be celebrated at a memorial service, to be held at 4:00pm, following visitation, also at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Carrollton. Reverend Keith Arrington and Pastor Joe Palmer will officiate. Son-in-law Kevin C. Jones, will serve as host. Family friend, John Deakins, will serve as head usher and urn-bearer. Additional ushers will include family, friends, and former Central High School students. Along with flowers, donations may be made to any of the following favorite charitable organizations: Tabernacle Baptist Church of Carrollton, Georgia; Compassion International; The Carroll County Child Advocacy Center; The Martha Gleaton English Majors Scholarship Fund at High Point University; Troy University School of Education; The Wounded Warrior Project; The Muscular Dystrophy Association; St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital; The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases; The Pensacola High Shool Fighting Tigers Marching Band; and The Central High School Lion Pride Marching Band.

Martin Hightower Funeral Home in Carrollton is in charge of arrangements.