Marron Family Donates $2M to Valley Hospital in Honor of Late Wife

The nephew of Dorothy Marron, who has supported Valley Hospital’s endeavors, has donated $2 million to establish the Darlene L. Morron Chair for Children’s Services at Valley in honor of his late wife.

“For the better part of three generations, the Bergen County family has supported the hospital’s endeavors,” while “perhaps the most noticeable support came from the late Dorothy Marron, who established endowments for pastoral and neonatal care, and for whom the hospital’s fourth-floor Critical Care Unit is named,” according to a press release.

“Doing this achieves many things for me,” said Ed Marron, a Ho-Ho-Kus resident. “First, it’s a wonderful way to remember my wife. Second, it’s been a family tradition to support Valley. And third, the donation is a way to touch everyone in the community. That’s important to us.”

Marron first met Darlene at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Club of New York alumni organization’s monthly meetings and were married for more than 42 years before Darlene died on Sept. 6, 2014 from a rare form of cancer. Darlene had been diagnosed less than two years prior at Valley and had appeared to have beat the cancer after surgery and chemotherapy but took a turn for the worse.

“My wife was an exceptional woman,” he said.

According to the release, Marron and his wife had planned to make a sizable donation to Valley even before they knew her cancer was terminal.

“[Valley has] been there for us, for people we know, and we just cherish it,” he said.

Marron’s gift will be perpetual, with annual earned income going toward funding and expanding children’s programs and services.