Memorial honors Ogilvie's attitude, gratitude

SANDPOINT — Marsha Ogilvie was just a young girl when, while out on a family drive, her parents’ Lincoln ran into trouble with a sticky car horn.

Rather than try to shrink into the back seat and hide from the embarrassing, noisy situation, Ogilvie climbed onto the hood of the car and waved at the staring passersby. Right from an early age, eulogizers recalled at her memorial service Friday, it was obvious she was going to be a vivacious leader.   

Hundreds turned out to pay their respects to the local business owner, philanthropist, City Council member and mayor.

There wasn’t a dry eye among the several speakers as they reflected on Ogilvie’s achievements and the community’s loss.

“Everything she did turned magical,” friend and fellow volunteer Barb Perusse said.

The memorial service played out as a mixture of tears and laughter as individuals recalled Ogilvie’s love for pageantry and flair, her tendency to micro-manage and her intense compassion for the most vulnerable members of society.

“You didn’t want to make eye contact with her for fear you’d be drafted into something,” Perusse said. “But who were we kidding? We were going to be drafted anyway — even if we weren’t there.”

Judge Debra Heise, who worked with Ogilvie from the very beginning of her efforts in child advocacy, recalled a distinctly unpretentious woman who was never afraid to have a good time. She noted the irony of a mayor having a solemn honor guard and several speakers clad in feather boas — one of Ogilvie’s signature pieces of flair — at the same memorial service.

“If she had her way, every one of these gentlemen (in the honor guard) would be wearing feather boas too,” she said.

Longtime friend and fellow volunteer Barb Merritt marveled at the number of causes Ogilvie championed over the years. Whether she was managing her local businesses the Candy Cottage and All Smiles, serving as the co-founder and president of Kinderhaven, organizing awards like Women Honoring Women or conducting city affairs as a City Council member or mayor, she threw everything she had into the task, she said.

“She approached all these jobs with love, respect and dignity,” Merritt added.

As the newly-appointed mayor, Carrie Logan honored Ogilvie’s love for issuing proclamations. One of Ogilvie’s most beloved joys was making volunteers and do-gooders feel appreciated, and as a result, she ultimately issued about 30 proclamations over her two years as mayor.

“Having the ability to publicly recognize and honor others was her most treasured mayoral duty,” Logan said.

Logan returned the favor by announcing the City Beach Snack Shack, which Ogilvie authorized for renovation early last year, will be renamed Marsha’s Snack Shack in her honor. New signs are on the way reflecting that change.

Another of Ogilvie’s proud achievements as a public official was the restructuring of the police department under Police Chief Corey Coon. In honor of her legacy, Coon lauded Ogilvie as one of the biggest influences on his life. Her guidance was instrumental in reorganizing the police force into a friendlier, more respected institution, he said.

“Marsha, you might be gone from this earth, but you will never be forgotten,” he said.