Marjorie Carol Vaughn

Marjorie Carol Vaughn 1935 - 2023 Marjorie Carol (Smith) Vaughn, 87, of New Palestine, passed away June 29, 2023. Throughout her life she strove to be the best person she could be, even though, she would say, “we all fail at one time or another.” A self-avowed “people person,” Margie, as she was known to her friends and family, placed a high value on being good, nice, and kind — traits she possessed and frequently displayed. Her favorite flowers were daisies, which reflected the cheerful disposition she somehow managed to maintain through even the most trying times of her life. Marjorie was born July 30, 1935, in Indianapolis to the late Russell W. and Pauline (Ringer) Smith. Having lost her mother at the age of three, she grew up in the home of an aunt where she was loved and felt secure, but could never shake the feelings of having no foundation and of not quite belonging anywhere. “One thing I always said I wanted was to get married and have a family, so I could have my own life the way I wanted,” she once recalled. At the age of 19, a year after her 1953 graduation from Warren Central High School, Marjorie’s wish came true. On May 14, 1955, she married Donald “Max” Vaughn at the Henninger Methodist Church on South Arlington in Indianapolis near her childhood home. “The Lord blessed me,” she told a relative. “I married a good man and had great kids.” After losing her first child at birth and surviving a near-fatal bout of meningitis, Marjorie had three children and fulfilled her desire to create a family of her own. “It was what I always wanted,” she said. “It made me happy and I was content.” Finding friends throughout her life’s journey, Marjorie was a secretary for the Metropolitan School District of Warren Township for many years. Prior to that she was employed with Naval Avionics and L.S. Ayres & Co. Her many interests included gardening, painting, traveling, and cooking. Friends and family will celebrate Marjorie’s life Friday, July 7, 2023, with visitation from 12 noon until the time of service at 2:00 p.m. at Shirley Brothers Washington Memorial Chapel, 9606 East Washington Street. Marjorie is survived by her loving husband of 68 years, Max Vaughn; and children, Tobin Vaughn (Robert Williams), Shelley Vaughn and Kirby Vaughn. She was preceded in death by her son, Matthew Vaughn; and two brothers, Raymond Sanford Smith, and Edward Lechner. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the St. Jude Children’s Hospitals and Red Cross of America.

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Marjorie Carol Vaughn

July 30, 1935 - June 29, 2023