Marlene M. Land

MARLENE M. LAND of Cleveland, OH passed away on May 15, 2023 at the age of 87 surrounded by love of family and friends.

Marlene was born to Joseph and Juanita McCaleb (nee Dunbar) on December 24, 1935 at 12:30 pm. She was the second child born from that union. She succeeds her sole sister Barbara Jean Patterson (nee McCaleb).

Marlene graduated from John Hay High School. After finishing high school she initially entered the working world and soon after married and had children. After blessing the world with four lovely boys she returned to obtain her degrees in teaching. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University and a Master’s Degree from John Carroll University.

She was married three times. At the young age of 20 she married Robert L. Stokes. After her four sons were grown she married Eddy Ellington (deceased). She was the widow of Lieutenant Colonel Clearance J. Land (deceased).

Marlene was the mother of four sons, Marty J. McCaleb (Valerie) and the late Keith M. Stokes (deceased 2017), the late Robert L. Stokes (deceased 2022), and the late Lloyd L. Stokes (Lillian) (deceased 2015). 

Marlene held several jobs prior to embarking on her calling as a school teacher, one that stands out is when she worked at Eaton Manufacturing Company as a spot welder and riveter.

Many knew her as Mrs. Stokes, Mrs. Ellington, and Mrs. Land as she was a school teacher for over 40 years. She taught at several catholic schools, the Urban League as a math teacher, and Cleveland Public Schools K-12. The majority of her teaching career was spent at Fullerton Elementary as a 4^th and 5^th grade teacher. She loved children, learning, and helping people. Marlene dedicated her life to embodying those characteristics with everyone she encountered. 

She raised her granddaughter Magnificent Stokes Willis (Scott) from age four. She also helped raise her grandson Marlon Stokes (Dorice). She was an active and loving grandmother to 8; Shawn, Kamila, Joey, Magnificent, Lady Marlene, Kellie (Donald), Marlon, and Marcas. Marlene was able to live a life where she was active with several generations of her family to include her great grandchildren. She had 12 great grandchildren; Kamron, Kyndall, Paris, Tremendous, Ajani, Marlon, Caleb, Cameron, Savannah, Donovan, Maliyah, and Skylar. 

Marlene was a member of Eta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.She was very active in the community. She regularly donated time and money to events and causes that helped children and the community. She participated in the annual Cancer Walk. She regularly donated to the NAACP and United Negro College Fund. She was an avid bowler to the extent that she was a member of a bowling league earlier this year. She loved the arts, she regularly attended events at the Karamu House and Cleveland Playhouse Square. She believed that actions spoke louder than words and that love is what you do not what you say. She lived a long full life that honored her rule that life is about quality. While she always quoted quality over quantity she was able to achieve both. A long life that every second was filled improving the lives of others.

She will be loved, remembered, and missed immensely by a multitude of family and friends to include daughters-in-laws that she embraced as her own, cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews to name a few.

The family prefers that those who wish may make contributions in her name to The Gathering Place, 23300 Commerce Park Rd, Beachwood, OH 44122.  The family is accepting flowers at Brown-Forward Funeral Home 17022 Chagrin Blvd, Shaker Heights, Ohio.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 1 PM on Friday, May 26 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 4341 E 131st St, Garfield Heights, OH, followed at 3:30 PM by a Celebration of Life at the Mediterranean Event Center, 25021 Rockside Rd, Bedford Heights, OH.

Viewing will be Thursday, May 24, all day from 9am – 6:30pm, with family calling hours 4-6:30pm, AT BROWN-FORWARD, 17022 CHAGRIN BLVD, SHAKER HEIGHTS. Private interment, Calvary Cemetery.