Romayne “Beth” Marschak falleció repentinamente el 3 de junio de 2026. Beth trabajó con el Departamento de Salud Pública de Virginia (VDH) y la División de Prevención de Enfermedades (DDP) durante más de dos décadas. Se incorporó a VDH como asesora de la línea de atención telefónica y, varios años después, pasó a desempeñar el cargo de administradora de contratos. Beth no solo se dedicó al servicio público a través de su trabajo, sino que también se había involucrado profundamente en el activismo comunitario, de derechos civiles y de derechos humanos en Richmond durante gran parte de su vida. Fue un pilar de la comunidad LGBTQ+, y estableció vínculos gracias a su labor de activismo.
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.
Transmitimos nuestras condolencias a la familia, colegas y seres queridos de Beth.