Marley John aka “D.D”

2022 - 2025

May 4th, 2022 – December 6th, 2025
Forever in our hearts.

Marley wasn’t “just a dog.” He was family, woven into every chapter of our entire lives. He was my best friend, my right-hand man, my travel buddy, my comfort, my shadow, and my peace. And to my kids — he was their gentle guardian, their playmate, their safe place, and their constant love. Marley watched them grow, protected them, loved them, and softened every moment of their childhood with his big, goofy & fluffy heart.

He had this unbelievable ability to sense the energy in the room. If we were loud and laughing, he was goofy and wild right along with us. If someone was sad, hurting, stressed, focused or just tired…Marley laid his head gently in our laps. He absorbed energy. He carried a wisdom that felt almost human. He knew us. He understood us. He loved us in a way only the more pure of souls can love.

Marley loved everything good in life.
He loved his kids most of all.
He loved baths, water, and mud.
He loved running free through the woods, living his best wild, joyful life.
He loved brushing time — that long, thick, curly blue Merle coat with splashes of blonde that made him look twice as big as he actually was & ten times more beautiful.

He loved toys, bones, treats, snacks, turkey, pizza crust, and any crumb the kids “accidentally” dropped or the twins left behind in their highchair.

He loved traveling with me, seeing new places, sticking his fluffy head out the window, and being part of every adventure. He’s been from Canada to North Carolina and everywhere in between.

He loved all people, all animals, wild birds, all of our farm animals — it didn’t matter who or what. If it had a heartbeat, Marley loved it!!!

That was his gift.
He just loved.
Fully, freely, endlessly.

He was gentle, smart, loyal, incredibly well-trained, and truly everything you hope for when you bring a dog into your life. People stopped me all the time to say how beautiful he was, but I always thought: if only you knew how beautiful his heart is and just how lucky he made me.

The past few days have been the hardest of my life. Marley got out and came home not acting right. Something or someone out there harmed him — maybe poison, maybe something he got into — but he became very sick, very, very fast.

He stopped eating. He stopped drinking. He didn’t want to get up. He grew weaker by the day, and despite everything… he slipped away in our home this morning at 8:30 AM.

The trauma and shock of losing him so suddenly has broken us. There is no pain like watching your best friend, your children’s dog, the soul of your home, fade away in front of you. No words for the helplessness I felt. No words for the emptiness I now feel.

But I take comfort in knowing this:
Marley passed in the one place he felt safest.
Home.
With his family.
Wrapped in love.
Not scared. Not alone.

Today I buried him on my farm on the land that he so much loved to explore. It had started raining just before we started to dig the hole. The sky turned dark & emotional, like it was mourning with me.

By the time the hole was dug, the sun broke through and started shining through the clouds. And right then, an entire flock of wild turkeys appeared on the farm, not far from where I was burying him. Marley loved turkey slices as a treat.

That moment felt like a sign from him.
Like he was telling me, “I’m okay. I’m free. & I’m here.”
It brought a peace I didn’t expect — the kind of moment that feels too perfect to be a coincidence.

Marley wasn’t just a pet.
He was a chapter of our lives that we will never ever forget.
He filled our home with peace, laughter, chaos, comfort, and warmth.
He shaped my kids’ childhoods.
He was part of our routines, our memories, our hearts.

And even though today feels unbearable, I know his love will stay with us forever.

That’s the beauty of dogs like him: when their bodies go, their spirit does not.
Marley will always run beside us — in our minds, in our memories, and in every future moment where we need him. And I will build the most beautiful memorial garden on my farm for the best dog there ever was on this earth.

Run free now, sweet boy! Run through the woods you loved so much. Splash through every stream. Let the wind hit your curls. Make friends with every person & creature you meet. And watch over us like you always did. I will never ever forget you.

Thank you to everyone who ever loved Marley — friends, family, neighbors, anyone who met him even once. So many people adored him, and he adored you all right back. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Our home, our hearts, and our lives will never be the same.

Rest in peace, Marley John aka “D.D.”
You were the best dog in the world.
We will miss you forever.