Marcia Nightingale Carlson
December 24, 1947 ~ January 29, 2023
Retired nurse, Foreign Service spouse, and Reston resident Marcia Nightingale Carlson passed away peacefully January 29, 2023, at Sibley Memorial Hospital. After a 10-year battle against leukemia, Marcia’s wounded immune system was unable to defeat pneumonia. She had just turned 75 on Christmas Eve.
Born in Blue Island, Illinois, to Vincent and Mary Nightingale, Marcia grew up as her father’s Shell Oil career moved the family from the Chicago area to Long Island, Baltimore, Toledo, and Louisville. She graduated summa cum laude and valedictorian from Vanderbilt University with a BSN in 1969. She met her future husband at a freshman mixer, and they were married two weeks after graduation.
Marcia began her nursing career in the ICU at Sibley Memorial Hospital, but her husband joined the Foreign Service and they were posted a year later to Caracas, Venezuela. As a newly arrived spouse of the most junior officer, she had to find a rental apartment by parsing the Venezuelan classified ads, knocking on doors, and inquiring in her rudimentary Spanish. Their daughter, Marinn Carlson McClure, was born in Caracas.
As the family moved from assignment to assignment, through 17 household moves, Marcia worked in various capacities. In Belgrade, she taught school and learned Serbian. In Sofia, she served as the Embassy nurse and as the Defense Attaché’s office only fluent Bulgarian speaker. In Oslo, she managed reports in the CIA station and served as an assistant pastor at the American Lutheran Church.
Later, in London, she became the State Department’s medical evacuation manager, finding appropriate medical treatment in the British health system for official Americans evacuated from Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In Madrid, she was the Embassy nurse, covering the needs of a large American official community, but also, among other things, was called upon to help win the Winter Olympics for Salt Lake City in 2002.
During her husband’s Washington assignments, Marcia found employment in a variety of medical-related positions, such as an advice nurse for Kaiser Permanente, a telemedicine counselor for a major insurance company, and as the international medical emergency case manager for a travel insurance company. Later, she marketed health and medical services to high-net-worth individuals in foreign countries for Johns Hopkins Medicine. At Travelers Medical Service, she vaccinated most of the White House press corps before each of POTUS’ overseas trips.
Marcia had a deep appreciation for culture, design, and the arts. While in Riga, Latvia she seized upon the centenary of world-famous artist Mark Rothko’s birth in Daugavpils as an opportunity to bring art, politics, and the American experience together for an international audience. The result was a major 2003 Rothko retrospective with 21 works exhibited from the National Gallery of Art in Washington and an international arts conference drawing experts from around the world.
Although her older brother David Nightingale was a nationally recognized Chicago sports writer, and her nephew is a sports page editor for the Los Angeles Times, Marcia never cared much for baseball. Until…that is, her grandson began playing for a Virginia championship Little League team. At which point she could be found explaining the infield fly rule to other grandparents.
Marcia is survived by her husband of 54 years, Amb. Brian Carlson, lawyer daughter Marinn, son-in-law Darren, and her favorite grandson, Case. Close relatives include Allison Rush in Hawaii, Van Nightingale in Los Angeles, and Christine Young in Illinois. The family plans a celebration of life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, they encourage donations of blood (a true lifeline for cancer patients), or donations to the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, in her memory.
Born in Blue Island, Illinois, to Vincent and Mary Nightingale, Marcia grew up as her father’s Shell Oil career moved the family from the Chicago area to Long Island, Baltimore, Toledo, and Louisville. She graduated summa cum laude and valedictorian from Vanderbilt University with a BSN in 1969. She met her future husband at a freshman mixer, and they were married two weeks after graduation.
Marcia began her nursing career in the ICU at Sibley Memorial Hospital, but her husband joined the Foreign Service and they were posted a year later to Caracas, Venezuela. As a newly arrived spouse of the most junior officer, she had to find a rental apartment by parsing the Venezuelan classified ads, knocking on doors, and inquiring in her rudimentary Spanish. Their daughter, Marinn Carlson McClure, was born in Caracas.
As the family moved from assignment to assignment, through 17 household moves, Marcia worked in various capacities. In Belgrade, she taught school and learned Serbian. In Sofia, she served as the Embassy nurse and as the Defense Attaché’s office only fluent Bulgarian speaker. In Oslo, she managed reports in the CIA station and served as an assistant pastor at the American Lutheran Church.
Later, in London, she became the State Department’s medical evacuation manager, finding appropriate medical treatment in the British health system for official Americans evacuated from Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In Madrid, she was the Embassy nurse, covering the needs of a large American official community, but also, among other things, was called upon to help win the Winter Olympics for Salt Lake City in 2002.
During her husband’s Washington assignments, Marcia found employment in a variety of medical-related positions, such as an advice nurse for Kaiser Permanente, a telemedicine counselor for a major insurance company, and as the international medical emergency case manager for a travel insurance company. Later, she marketed health and medical services to high-net-worth individuals in foreign countries for Johns Hopkins Medicine. At Travelers Medical Service, she vaccinated most of the White House press corps before each of POTUS’ overseas trips.
Marcia had a deep appreciation for culture, design, and the arts. While in Riga, Latvia she seized upon the centenary of world-famous artist Mark Rothko’s birth in Daugavpils as an opportunity to bring art, politics, and the American experience together for an international audience. The result was a major 2003 Rothko retrospective with 21 works exhibited from the National Gallery of Art in Washington and an international arts conference drawing experts from around the world.
Although her older brother David Nightingale was a nationally recognized Chicago sports writer, and her nephew is a sports page editor for the Los Angeles Times, Marcia never cared much for baseball. Until…that is, her grandson began playing for a Virginia championship Little League team. At which point she could be found explaining the infield fly rule to other grandparents.
Marcia is survived by her husband of 54 years, Amb. Brian Carlson, lawyer daughter Marinn, son-in-law Darren, and her favorite grandson, Case. Close relatives include Allison Rush in Hawaii, Van Nightingale in Los Angeles, and Christine Young in Illinois. The family plans a celebration of life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, they encourage donations of blood (a true lifeline for cancer patients), or donations to the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, in her memory.
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The Owners and Staff at the Money and King Funeral Home, wish to express our sincere sympathy to you. It is our hope that we may be able to make a difficult time more bearable. Please feel free to call us anytime as we are always available to you.
Bob Gallagher
Funeral Director
Marcia was a special friend for almost 50 years. She will always be part of our warmest and dearest memories. We met in 1973, in Caracas, Venezuela, as first tour Foreign Service spouses.. Although Marcia was younger, she had ‘experience’ and took me under her wing. The always professional nurse guided me through my last trimester of a first pregnancy, , recommended an obstetrician and a pediatrician and held my hand in so many ways. I recall her sending a pacifier to me through the Embassy office mail because our daughter was colicky. She wrote, “I know you don’t like pacifiers, but Marinn liked this one, so try it.” I did and it worked! Marcia to the rescue again!
We enjoyed good food, wine and great companionship at weekly Sunday night dinners in those early years, We served in different postings, but never lost touch, and refreshed our friendship in retirement. Marcia was the”Travel Troll”meticulously planning fun adventures and recording them in beautifully curated detail in exquisite photo journals.
Her presence will always be part of our lives. We miss her bubbly laughter and her cheerful voice, the sparkling blue eyes and sharp wit. Marcia’s passing is a deep loss for us. We cannot
imagine how difficult it is for Brian, Marinn, Case and Darren. May the special memories you made with Marcia over the years provide you with comfort in your time of grieving.
Faye and Dick Barnes
There are no words…. but I’ll try to find them…
It was 1994 and I was working as an Embassy RN in Madrid. We had been told a “new” nurse would be joining our small staff of three – myself, Laura Garcia and our wonderful MD, Dr. Peralba. Of course, we were curious and a little concerned – we were a small group – would this person fit in? I remember distinctly the day this lovely, petite, blonde came walking down the hall of our basement Health Unit in the Embassy. Marcia walked in and we all felt as if she had been with us forever – big relief. Then, as Marcia and I laughed about for many years, we “bonded” over our shared “passion” for “organization” ! Nothing was safe if it was out of place – with Laura and Dr. P cheering us on – the Unit sparkled, and we became friends. That friendship not only flourished over the years, but became a central part of my life.
Marcia and Brian returned to DC in 1997, and my husband Scott and I followed a few months later. However, we were not a Foreign Service family, and unlike Marcia, I was NOT a “pro” when it came to moves. BUT – I had Marcia, and it turned out that she was all I needed. I made an “advance” trip to DC, stayed with Marcia and Brian, and thanks to Marcia’s meticulous research, found an apartment that would take our 13-year-old , 70lb dog, “Roxie”. She told me what to take with me and what to put in storage, and we picked out rental furniture! A few weeks later, when my husband Scott and I arrived at the door of our apartment, exhausted and ready to sleep on the floor with “Roxie”, we had the surprise of our life. Marcia and Brian opened the door and welcomed us to our new home – furniture in place, sheets on the bed, fridge filled with food and….a big sign that said “Welcome Home Roxie” right over a big bowl filled with dog food and a HUGE bone! This was friendship and love – I knew at that moment we were destined to be “besties” for a very long time.
Scott and I feel blessed to share such wonderful memories with Marcia and Brian – as a couple and Marcia and I, as “girlfriends” – shopping in Madrid (she said I forced her ? ) ,cooking classes, “accidental off piste” skiing in Italy, sharing huge clay vessels of Gluwine in Chamonix while our husbands conquered the mountain, our special visit to “Once” the wild boar in Latvia as well as our “surprise” Latvian sauna. We watched the clock start the new millennium together and have watched July 4th fireworks together almost every year since. We’ve been together to celebrate the great times, achievements, and to support each other through the not so great times. There may have been months when we didn’t see each other, but there was never a doubt that we were always there for each other.
It’s hard to believe that I can’t pick up the phone to call my superhero friend – she defied the odds and thrived so often, I thought she would be here forever. But she IS here – in our hearts and through her amazing family, Brian, Marinn, Case and Darren. When we have a chance to hug them, we will be hugging Marcia and I just know, she will be watching.
“God made us best friends because He knew our Moms couldn’t handle us as sisters…”
I did not know Marcia well. (I am a member of Reston Runners.) Whenever I saw her, she was gentle, friendly, kind, soft-spoken and cheerful. Truly a lovely lady.