Romayne “Beth” Marschak passed away suddenly on June 3, 2026. Beth worked with VDH and the Division of Disease Prevention (DDP) for over two decades. She joined VDH as a Hotline Counselor and then transitioned to a Contract Administrator several years later. Not only was Beth devoted to civil service through her work, but she had also been extremely involved in community, civil rights, and human rights activism in Richmond throughout much of her life. She was a pillar in the LGBTQ+ community, making connections through her activism work.
The connections that Beth made through her personal means made her incredibly adept at her work at VDH. She understood the vulnerable communities that partner agencies worked with and, when needed, offered advice to those agencies when they ran into difficulty implementing their programs. After all, Beth had been a part of these communities and working with them through her advocacy since the 1970s. Beth would run the quarterly contractor meetings and interact with all DDP partner agencies, even those that she was not working with as their assigned contract monitor. Beth oversaw the free condom program for most of her career at VDH and helped brainstorm and exchange ideas between agencies. This helped turn the program from a small idea into one that currently distributes over half a million free condoms each year to the community through local health departments and partner agencies. She was a historian full of knowledge of both the struggles of the communities we serve and the AIDS epidemic in Richmond. She was often called upon to share her experiences with the agency for special events such as World AIDS Day.
Beth was a steady and compassionate presence in our office, consistently offering support, thoughtful guidance, and a listening ear to her colleagues. She demonstrated deep commitment to her coworkers, the agencies she partnered with, and the communities we serve. Her absence is felt profoundly. We are grateful for her many contributions to public health and for the advocacy she carried throughout her career. Her impact endures, and she will be greatly missed. Thank you, Beth, for all you’ve given to the community through your work and advocacy. Rest in power.
We extend our condolences to Beth’s family, friends, and loved ones.