MarjoryAnneAndrews Gutknecht (née Barone), 87, of Mims, Florida entered peacefully into heaven on July 23, 2023.
The daughter of the late John J. and Jemma (Guerra) Barone, she was born September 13, 1935 in Orange, New Jersey. When Marjory was ten years old, her family moved to Livingston, New Jersey where she resided for 45 years. She graduated from Grover Cleveland High School, Caldwell, New Jersey in 1953, where many happy memories were created with her many friends while participating in various team sports and playing drums in the marching band. She married her high school sweetheart, John R. Andrews, in 1958 and the birth of her son and daughter soon followed. Unfortunately, she lost her husband to a heart condition February 9, 1961. She re-married in 1970 to Charles W. Gutknecht. In 1991 they moved from her beloved home in Livingston and retired to Richmond, New Hampshire and then Keene, New Hampshire in 2004. In 2019 Marjory moved to Mims, Florida to live with her daughter and son-in-law.
Marjory had a great passion for singing. She loved being a member of her church choir and sang soprano for many, many years, first at Trinity Covenant Church in Livingston, and then with the United Church of Christ in Keene. Her choir friends meant the world to her. Also, as an avid animal lover, she had many dogs and cats throughout her life, adopting the last two of her cats from the MonadnockAnimal Shelter of which she supported in their wonderful, kind care of the animals awaiting their forever homes.
She is survived by her son Scott R. Andrews of Dacula, Georgia and his wife, Karen; her daughter, Jodi L. (Andrews) Dibble and her husband John, of Mims, Florida; a step-daughter, Janine Heizler, of Vermont; five grandchildren, Andrew VanEkelenburg of Milford, Pennsylvania and his wife Rachel; Kristin Schneider of Pittston, Pennsylvania and her husband Adam; Erik VanEkelenburg of Mims, Florida; Stephen Fornaro and Frank Heizler of Vermont; four great-grandchildren, Allie, Amber and Trevor VanEkelenburg and Delilah Schneider; her niece, Karen H. Mears (Steven) of Tennessee and nephew, George T. Hauser, Jr. (Becci) of Alabama.
She is predeceased by her father, John J. Barone; mother, Jemma Guerra Barone; sister, Barbara M. Hauser; her first husband, John R. Andrews; and second husband, Charles W. Gutknecht.
Services will be held at a future date at the discretion of the family, in both New Jersey and New Hampshire.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Marjory Gutknecht’s name may be given to the Choir Fund at the United Church of Christ in Keene, 23 Central Sq., Keene NH 03431 or to the Monadnock Humane Society, 101 W. Swanzey Rd., Swanzey NH 03446.
Arrangements were made by Island Cremations and Funeral Home in Merritt Island, Florida.
