Michele “Shelly” Gehshan of Bethesda, Maryland passed away on March 31, 2023 at the age of 68 after suffering a stroke. Her last days were full of immense joy and love - under a warm sun with her loving husband.

Shelly was born on May 25, 1954 to Henrietta and Nicholas Gehshan in Southampton, Pennsylvania. The youngest of four sisters, she grew up in a mixed Lebanese-German family where food, hugs, sharp elbows, and sharper wits were never in short supply.

She received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Cornell University in 1976 and was an avid reader and writer of fiction her entire life. She loved the stories of people's lives - whether writing short stories about them, eliciting them from her friends, or helping her coaching clients write new chapters of theirs.

Shelly met her first husband, Jeff Marqusee, at Cornell University in 1972. They were married in 1982 and had two children, Alex and Hannah Marqusee. After college, she moved to Austin, Texas, where she worked first as an editor for the Austin Sun and then for the Austin Rape Crisis Center.

In 1985, she received a Masters in Public Policy from U.C. Berkeley, after which she worked with state policy makers on public health issues affecting low-income women, children and families. Over a 30-year career, she led dental health care initiatives to expand access to fluoridated water and dental health services and directed projects on health care reform, Medicaid, behavioral health, juvenile justice, and prenatal care.

Following graduate school, Shelly moved to Bethesda, Maryland where she lived for the rest of her life. In 2001, Shelly married Mark Obrinsky. Together, they traveled the world, spent many happy summers kayaking, and passionately supported progressive political causes.

In 2015, Shelly left her health policy career to become a certified executive and career coach, where she helped people find jobs and succeed in their careers, whether they be new in the workforce or in senior leadership. She was also an active volunteer, serving on and chairing several boards, providing pro-bono coaching services for clients in need, and supporting the St. Columba’s Church Mission Group to Honduras and Refugee Response Ministry.

Warmth radiated from Shelly in every interaction. Baked goods, presents, and dinner parties were just a few of her many love languages. Her laugh filled a room and only her compassion and hugs were bigger.

She will be greatly missed by her husband Mark Obrinsky; her children, Alex and Hannah Marqusee and their spouses Melissa Marqusee and Simon Miller; her sisters Gloria Liias, Gail Kolakowski, Ginny Gehshan and their spouses; and her many nieces, nephews, and friends.

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