Marie Power

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❤️❤️❤️❤️ To Our Beautiful Wife and Mother ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Marie’s early life 

Born on the 12th of December

This is the earliest photo we have of Marie with her family sitting on the steps at their house in Coburg. From Left Liz, Charles, Jo and Marie. Marie was born in Mildura then moved to Coburg when she was about 3. They lived in Coburg for about 12 years then they moved to their current house in Kew where I met Marie. Marie attended St Fidelis Primary School, Mercey College and then to Academy of Mary Senior School.  
Marie left school to pursue a certificate in hairdressing. 

Teenage Years 

Marie then continued on to teach at Academy of Hairdressing. Then at one stage Marie worked for her eldest sister Liz for a short time.  
Then Marie found a job running a group of hairdressing salons, I remember she did not really like this job and the owner. 

Overseas Trip 

Marie decided to book an overseas trip by herself travelling to London, Paris, Vienna, Innsbruck, Monte Carlo, Nice, Germany and Venice for about 4-5 weeks. She said she was very nervous going by herself but decided nothing was going to stop her. 

Teenage years 

Marie then started working at Myers Doncaster in the cosmetics department where she met more new friends, most of them she still stayed in contact with. 

Marie’s Memories – Video

First Meeting leading to our Engagement

Marie was recommended to start dancing classes by Liz (Marie’s eldest sister) to get out and meet people. So Marie decided to start dancing classes at Wendon Dance School for entertainment and to go out and meet people. 

I decided to learn to dance for a short time as I had been asked to be the best man at my friends wedding. I learned enough and decided to continue on as Marie and I had met and we always would walk Iaround the corner of The Glen Shopping Centre to have a coffee and something to eat. We enjoyed each other’s company so much we became inseparable and we got engaged about 12 months later. From the time we met we would be together every day even if it was for just an ice cream. 

Engagement

This is our engagement party, we got married about a year later.

Kitchen Tea 

This is some of Marie’s Kitchen Tea photos. I remember this day as Marie was so happy and I had to call past before anyone left for a surprise as she would not take no for an answer. 

Marriage 

With careful preparation and the help of my Mum and Marie’s Mum our wedding was all organised. We got married on the 9th of July 1994 at a beautiful church in Kew.

Wedding 

Claire and Sarah were born on the 4th of February

Holiday’s

Marie and I would always like to holiday in Queensland and go on cruises. Marie always loved Movie World and wanted to go see The White Christmas and we managed to go for Marie’s birthday last year which was a short but very enjoyable holiday. 

Girls 21st Birthday 

Claire and Sarah had a nice 21st birthday at Station Pier. Marie, as her life was always about family and celebrating… helped organise a really lovely birthday for the girls.

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❤️❤️❤️❤️ Cliff To My Beautiful Wife ❤️❤️❤️❤️

From the time we met we both knew we were the one for each other for the rest of our life as we refuse to spend a day apart. The main reason why is that we both always believed family values come first under any situation. We knew there was always something different as the love we had for each other and the fun times were always better. 

Marie you always also believed everyone deserves a gift. The utmost precious gift you saved for both of us will always be cherished and looked after for as long as I’m alive.

Our 2 beautiful daughters Claire and Sarah came into the world by us and have our values to carry on with their life journey. You always put them first in every way. ❤️❤️

You always said on so many occasions that we were your life. But in fact the way you constantly looked after us first we now know you were our life  

Marie

You always had a special way to say the kindest words especially in a letter or a card ( as above ) to make everyone feel humble and feel better. Marie love photos of everyone just not of herself. 

I couldn’t have fulfilled my life without your love and would never would have wanted anyone else.

Always in our hearts 💕 💕💕

To my darling wife the best in the world what more can I say I love you more and more every day forever xxxxx Cliff xxxxx ( Marie’s words )

Cliff xxxxxx 

Claire ❤️

Mum, I’ll always remember your love for everything Mickey Mouse and your ironically deathly fear of real-life mice. 

I’ll miss our constant arguments about who loved who more. You always claimed it was you and say “I’ve loved you longer than you’ve been alive”.

And of course, you telling me my outfit looked stunning… but always needed a bit more lipstick.

I’ll miss our long phone calls, the hour long ones you never wanted to end, even when I’d run out of life updates thirty minutes earlier.

One of my most cherished memories is of us standing in the kitchen, both in tears hugging, when you told me: “Make sure you wait for someone who treats you as well as your dad has always treated me.” Nothing mattered more to you than me knowing what I deserved. The love you waited for, and found, is the love you want for me.

You made an impression on everyone you met. People quickly saw your strong-mind, your empathy, and your generosity. And absolutely no one left your table without enough leftovers to last a week.

Growing up, I watched you give and give, never asking for anything in return. You would have given me everything, even if it meant you went without.

I know there is no one on this earth who will ever love me the way you did. And while that hurts more than I can say, I am so incredibly grateful that I was lucky enough to call you my mum. 

To you we were your “little miracles” but the truth is, you were always ours. You made us feel wanted, prayed for, and treasured every single day. No matter how old we got, you made sure we knew we were your greatest gift, your proudest achievement, and we will carry that love with us for the rest of our lives.

You are the strongest and kindest person I’ve ever known. I used to think you loved me that way simply because I’m your daughter, but these past few weeks have shown me that you really did treat everyone with that same very love.

As my favourite singer, Megan Moroney, says: “The world is hard on beautiful things.”

And it doesn’t get more beautiful than you.

I love you more, Mum. ❤️

… But I know you would still say that you do.

Sarah ❤️

To Dear Mum,

I know everyone thinks they have the best Mum, but not everyone is lucky enough to have you. 

The love that you’ve showed me over my whole life will never ever be compared to. When I was sad or felt sick, I knew I could call you and it would all be better. Or if I woke up in the middle of the night you would give me soda water and watch tv with me until I could go back to sleep. 

I loved your love of movies. Every movie I recommended to you, you had already seen. But you could recommend me a million more. You made Christmas movies my favourite and I knew if you liked it, I’d like it too. 

I remember you teaching me how to ballroom dance in our living room, always telling me that my nail polish needed more glitter, never failing to mention my chompy cheeks and making sure I never left home without a jacket. 

You always put everyone before yourself. I know you would do anything for the ones you love. You carried both of our school bags every day so we wouldn’t hurt our back. And drove us to Brunswick and back everyday just so we could dance full time. Even though it meant driving over 4hrs per day, you wouldn’t want us catching the train. 

You never wanted to be without us. You would have had all 4 of us together every second of every day if you could. When we were young you taught us that squeezing each other’s hand meant “I love you” and if I had your hand right now I’d be squeezing it extra tightly.

You always made me feel so cared for. Waiting up until all hours of the night until you knew I was home. Just so that you could sleep knowing I was home safe. 

There’s so many of your traits that I hope I have. Your strength, your kindness and I hope I have just as much love in my heart as you. So I’ll be able to share it with my children just as you did with me. 

I’ll never be able to explain exactly how grateful I am to be able to call you my Mum. But I want to thank you for always being proud of me and wanting me to be the best version of myself. Thank you and Dad for raising me with manners and giving me such a loving home to grow up in. 

I have enough memories to last a lifetime and even though I would have liked more with you, you made every moment of my 26 years with you special just by being in it. 

You’ll be right here in my heart, until we meet again. ❤️

Kerry 

To my dear friend Marie 

I wanted to take a moment to share some beautiful memories of Marie, a dear friend who has touched our lives in so many ways.

Marie and I first crossed paths 35 years ago at the Cosmetic Department in Myer. At the time, Marie was working for Shiseido and quickly became one of the company’s top salespeople across Australia, thanks to her dedication and exceptional skills. As I got to know her better, I was deeply impressed by the unwavering devotion she had for her mum. On every day off, Marie would take her mum and her neighbour, Mrs. B, out shopping. This loving devotion continued throughout her mum’s life.

Marie had a unique love language—food. She found immense joy in cooking for her friends and family, making every Birthday, Christmas, and Easter celebration truly special. Marie always carefully selected the right Birthday cake and for Christmas and Easter cooked enough to feed an army, ensuring she catered to everyone’s tastes, and never forgot to make Charles his favourite trifle.

Marie had a fondness for old movies, especially old Christmas movies that would play in the background all year round. But above all, Marie loved Cliff and her girls with all her heart. It didn’t matter what they were doing; as long as they were together, Marie was the happiest.

I will miss my friend greatly, but I will always treasure the memories we shared and the love she so generously gave.

“Grief is the price we pay for love”

Warm regards,

Kerry

Maria Demaria

Just a little story about Maria

When Maria was younger she came to visit Aunty Marietta and Uncle Joe in Mildura on holidays she adored playing with her cousin who was also called Maria 

Now when you put the 2 Maria’s together being cousins it could only mean one thing … mischief 

On one particular occasion the girls were running a muck down the hallway trying to hide from Aunty Marietta giggling and caring on little did they know what was about to happen.

They were running down the corridor trying to hide and ended up running into one of the toilet walls putting a hole through it and till this day the replacement panels are still in tact we were so lucky we didn’t break any bones Maria still always use to bring it up which made made her laugh 😹 

Jocelyn 

My best treasured memory of Marie was our cruise in January 2024 with four other ladies.

Every day was a non-stop adventure filled with fun and so much laughter. At night, it was dinner, a different show every night, and then it was cocktails at our favourite bar, listening to great music, and fantastic singing.

Back to our cabin, not to sleep, but to chat and laugh till 3am.

A special time i’ll always remember. 

Christiine Constantinou 

Marie and I first met @ The Australian Academy of Hairdressing as teachers. Academy rules were to call each other by our surnames in front of students. 40 years later Marie was still Cero to me and I was Constantinou to her, a memory of a wonderful friendship.( A blast from the past she would say ) 

Cero / Marie was in charge of the Beauty room and I was in the room opposite her in Senior Salon. 
One of my favourite memories was a trip to Perth with Cero And a few other teachers. Teaching gave us three weeks off over Christmas. We stayed in a hotel in Perth but didn’t have the ability to travel far from Perth city. I convinced Cero and two others to do a two day camping adventure to wave rock and a few other remote sites along the coast. I was quite comfortable about camping but Cero was not so sure. I convinced her everything would be fine. We packed our bags and waited on the street in front of our hotel to be picked up. Next a 4WD Jeep came speeding around the corner two wheels up on the curb and a hillbilly got out of the jeep his glasses on crooked and asked if we were waiting for camping adventure?? Cero Grabbed me by the arm and gave me a terrified look… It will be fine I said!! He’s probably only the pick up service… But he wasn’t. We had a very interesting adventure (See photo one) Cero was a truly amazing and talented make-up up artist. She would do all the students models make up for hairdressing competitions. Cero’s hair and makeup was always like a rainbow magic (see photo two) In red Cero In purple, the senior had mistress of the Academy. Me next on the left was Renata. I was 1st to leave teaching and went to work as An area manager for a hairdressing chain. Fantastic Planet. Not long after I was joined by my Bestie Cero!! And later on by Renata. Three great area managers. In 1986 I was privileged to have Cero do my makeup for my wedding (see photo three) then life and family took over our lives… But I always got a Christmas and a birthday card from Cero she was a kind and loving friend who will be sadly missed by me and all her family and friends forever in my heart, love you Cero from Costantinou

Suzanne

My memory of Marie…..

Our friendship spanned 40 years meeting when we both worked on the cosmetic counters at Myer Doncaster.

However it is the last 12 months I’ll cherish when we spent our monthly get togethers with Megan, Rae and the ladies at Creative Memories scrapbooking, attending the weekend away at Philip Island along with days at my place scrapbooking for hours.

We would chat about all sorts, joking, laughing and sometimes laughing until we cried!

Marie was scrapbooking her trip to Europe most recently.

Always talking about doing the girls albums and always buying 3 of everything….one for her, one for Sarah and one for Claire’s album.

I’ll always remember my dear friend Marie as loyal, honest, loving and so generous! 

Love you Rie! 💜

Pina 

Hi Cliff, our sincere condolences on the passing of your beautiful wife. 

This is a picture that sits on my mantle piece of myself and Maria. All our love to you and your beautiful girls. 

Love ❤️ 

Pina and Peter Mina 

Taylah

I had the privilege of caring for Marie during her time at Knox Hospital.

In healthcare, we meet many people but every so often, someone comes along who becomes so much more than a patient.

Marie became the mum… the aunt… the heart of our ward.

She was someone we didn’t just care for, we cared about.

It was never unusual to find us sitting with her in bed 24 in her massive room while we wrote our notes, shared stories, chatting about life, or simply enjoying her company. Those weren’t just conversations, they were moments that made long shifts lighter and hard days easier.

She had this incredible warmth about her.

On the tough days, she made them better.

On the good days, she made them great.

Her smile, her kindness, and the way she showed love so freely left a mark on every one of us.

But what stood out most was how deeply she loved her family.

She spoke about all of you so often — with pride, with joy, and with that unmistakable love that filled the room whenever your names were mentioned. 

Claire, Sarah — she adored you both beyond words. She was always so proud of you both and never once doubted you. I know she’s still looking down on both of you with that same love and protecting you from whatever comes your way.

Cliff — she loved you more than anything, and I know how much it meant to her that you were by her side right until the very end.

Over time, we got to know each other beyond the roles of patient and staff.

We learned about each other’s lives, our families, our struggles, and our joys.

And somewhere along the way, we became a little family too.

She was someone who listened when things were hard.

And when she faced her own difficult days, we stood next to her.

Her pain became something we carried together.

And through that shared strength, we were able to make things even just a little easier.

Caring for Marie was not just part of our job.

It was an honour.

She reminded us why we do what we do, not just to treat illness, but to care for people.

Her presence changed Warratah for the better.

And we will all miss her greatly. 

Thank you for sharing her with us

Sonia 

The first time I met Marie it felt like I had known her all my life. She had a rare kind of presence – kind, warm , friendly and funny. I will always remember her happy smile and her laughter. She was also an extremely generous person who always loved to give.

Even though I haven’t known her for a long time, I am very glad and grateful to have met her. Xx

Lynne 

Marie, the donut girls will all miss you so much. We valued your friendship, your compassion and  understanding for us when you had many things going in on your life. Your tenacity with sticking to what you needed to do. The fact that you would give things ago and even if you didn’t like what we were doing you gave it ago so that all your crafting friends could have a turn of their favorite activity. We all were in awe of your commitment to family and friends. Your ability to bring so many things to class, that if someone forgot something you nearly always had a spare. We love you and will miss your bubbly personality, but know you and Jacky will be crafting away together having a great time together

Noeline 

The only photo I could find of the two of us together, we were always so busy chatting never talked about any of us except for the kids. My beautiful, beautiful friend💜🌷

Jess 

I feel so incredibly lucky to have known Marie for the short period of time that I did. From the very beginning, both her and Cliff treated me like their third daughter. I’ll always smile when I think about how Marie always insisted on calling me Jessie not Jess – it was such a small thing but it meant so much.

Marie was endlessly kind and generous, she was always thinking of me whether it was surprising me with an advent calendar or never letting me pay when we went out. I loved when her and Cliff would come into woolies and surprise me, I would get so excited if I knew they were on their way or when I would get to serve them. 

The love, warmth and kindness she gave so freely are reflected through both Claire and Sarah. Marie and Cliff have raised two of the most beautiful, strong and incredible girls I know and truly could not imagine my life without. Marie’s love will always be a part of my life, just as Cliff and the girls will be too ❤️

Glad 

Here we are on one of many of the cruises we did together.

At first Mary made so many excuses not to cruise,  she later on admitted she was frightened) after the first one, you could not stop her.

Every cruise we did, was more enjoyable than the last.

We never missed the shows at night, sometimes going to the shows twice.

She is probably cruising up there now 💕💖💗BON VOYAGE.

Tanya & (Michael) The Woolworth Mum 

To Beautiful Sarah & Claire my Woolworth Daughters 

So Very Sorry 

I always remember when I first met you the two of you ( Greeting customers at the door Lol )

I told you guys then “Please tell your parents what a fantastic job they have done bringing you up” and that is the legacy that your beautiful Mum had left behind. 
She will NEVER be forgotten & lives on in the two of you. ❤️❤️

Lots of Love always 

Tanya (& Michael) 

The Woollies Mum !! 

Henk en Henny 

Dear Marie 

We feel very sad about your passing but we will always remember the time we spent with you and your lovely family. When we where in Australia and we will never never forget your beautiful Ice Coffee ( the best we ever had ).
We hope you rest in peace dear Marie. 
Love 

Henk en Henny 

Jill 

I only got to know Marie well on our cruise with some ladies in 2024. We both hit it off right away. She was so much fun and became a wonderful friend. I have these memories, which will be with me for as long as I live – God bless you, Marie

Every time I have G & T, I will toast you, Marie ❤️

Jill Locke

Riley 

Marie was a truly beautiful kind and caring person. She had a really special gift, the ability to make everyone feel like family. It did not matter who you were or how long she had known you. Whenever you were around her you were met with warmth, love and usually a reminder that you hadn’t eaten enough.

Marie always had something prepared even if I had organised to catch up with Claire and Sarah last minute. My personal favourite was her chicken avocado sandwich.

Her warm nature was always inviting and she was always down for a chat. If you were on the phone to Sarah or Claire and Marie was nearby you would always hear her in the background saying “Hi Riley”, always acknowledging you, always welcoming you.

Carole 

My Mickey Mouse comrade, she always had time for all. xxxx 
As a mum of two girls myself, I know it is far too early for them to be without theirs but know you will have family around you.

I love you Cliff, you’ve always been special to me and Marie was wonderful for you

Sharon ( Knox Hospital Admissions Desk ) 

Dear Cliff ,Sarah & Claire 

Sending my deepest condolences to you all at this very sad time. 
Marie was such a ray of sunshine every time she walked into our department. She will be greatly missed but forever cherished. 
Love ❤️ from Sharon ( Admission Desk ) 

George, Kathy and the Health Regeneration team.

Dear Cliff,

Thank you for sharing this beautiful tribute to Marie. Seeing her smile again reminds us all of the light she carried so naturally.

Marie was truly a rare and gentle soul — kind, graceful, and full of warmth. She touched more lives than she probably ever realised. It was an honour to know her, and a privilege to walk alongside her, even in a small way.

Please know that our hearts are with you and your family during this incredibly painful time. There are no words that can truly ease a loss like this, but I pray that God wraps you in comfort, strength, and peace in the days ahead.

Marie’s spirit — her kindness, her smile, her quiet strength — will continue to live on in every life she touched. She may have left this earth, but the love she gave remains.

We will be praying for you, Cliff and your beautiful girls. May the Lord hold you close and carry you through.

With deepest respect and heartfelt condolences,

George, Kathy and the Health Regeneration team.

Medical on Church – Dr Robyn

Dear Cliff, Sarah and Claire,

I was very sad to hear of Marie’s passing away last week. She was amazing in

how she dealt with such a devastating illness . You were all so supportive as a

family.

My sincere condolences at this very difficult time.

Kind regards

Dr Robyn Craven

We wanted to leave you with a few words, written by Marie herself.

A few excerpts from a 5 page letter she wrote to her beloved husband Cliff.

These words capture the tenderness, devotion and love that defined her.

Her words somehow capture exactly what we want to say to her today, and what we know, she would say still.

We couldn’t think of a better way to remember her than by sharing her own voice.

We feel these words capture so much of who she was, loving, thoughtful, devoted and always caring for others before herself.

And of course asking about her tulips, a reminder of how much joy she found in the simple beauty of her flowers.

This letter shows her exactly how we knew her, loving, gentle,

always checking that everyone else was okay.

They echo exactly how we feel. Missing her voice, her care, and most of all her constant reminders that we are loved.

Sayings 

As Marie would always say…

‘Everything happens for a reason’

‘Onwards and upwards’

‘From something bad comes something good’

‘Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you become’

From Sister Mary McKillop 

“Remember we are but travellers here”.