Marlene Priscilla Montoute, Our Beautiful, Loving Dear Sister, second from the last child of ten children, was born to Samuel and Nellie Montoute on October 7, 1947 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Marlene graduated from Saint Maria Garretti High School in Philadelphia, then made her way to New York City to work as a Librarian. In New York, she attained a Bachelors Degree from "The School of Visual Arts" in photography. There after, she worked with an artist, "Romare Bearden" for some time in the world of Art.

She was one of the first tenants to move into the 1199 complex when first built in the 1980's. Marlene also traveled extensively to Europe, Scandinavia and the Caribbean for her photography work prior to her early diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis .

Marlene departed this life on November 20, 2023, and is now in the hands of her loving parents.

She leaves to mourn with "Great Love" for her: a sister, two brothers, nephews, nieces, cousins, friends, doctors, nurses, health aides, and neighbors.

Loving submitted by,

The Montoute Family

Health Benefits Of Forgiveness

Each one of us experience countless injustices in the course of everyday living. Like other experiences, it is not the experience itself so much that counts, but how you process it. The Mayo Clinic addresses the health benefits of "forgiveness" which they define as "an intentional decision to let go of resentment and anger". Letting go of grudges and bitterness can lead to:

Healthier relationships

Improved mental health

Less anxiety, stress and hostility

Fewer symptoms of depression

Lower blood pressure

A stronger immune system

Improved heart health

Improved self-esteem

Better sleep

Everett Worthington, Profession Emeritus of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, provides a free workbook at evworthington-forgiveness,com to aid those for whom forgiveness may be difficult (most of us!), focusing on the REACH method.

Recall: Recall the hurt. Look at the incident in an objective way and don't try to push aside your feeling.

Empathize: Empathize with the offender without excusing the action or invalidating your own feels. Maybe the person was having a bad day or was raised in dire circumstances.

Altruistic gift: Give the altruistic gift of forgiveness, Think about a time when you were rude or harsh, and recognize that everyone has shortcomings.

Commit: Make a decision to forgive. You can write a letter that you don't send to help yourself make the commitment.

Hold: Hold on to forgiveness. Memories of the transmission or event won't change.