By The Winchester Star, January 2024
Front Royal, Virginia: John and Joyce Marlow Honored as 2024 Community Stars. The Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley (CFNSV) hosted its 7th annual Evening with Our Community Stars on Jan. 11 at the Shenandoah Valley Golf Club.
“This event is an annual celebration of philanthropy in our community,” according to a CFNSV media release. “Each year the Community Foundation honors individuals or organizations that have given back to our community in a special way.”
This year, John and Joyce Marlow were honored for their “tradition of giving and the incredible impact they have made on our Shenandoah Valley community,” the media release states.
The Marlows have been rooted in Front Royal their whole lives.
John Marlow graduated from Warren County High School where he was a standout athlete, according to the release. He played on Warren County’s only undefeated and untied football team, held the high scoring record for the basketball team for decades, and was a district champion in the discus. He attended the University of Virginia on a football scholarship. At UVA, he was the co-captain of the football team, lettered three times in track, and played freshman basketball. He was the president of the V-Club and is a member of the university’s Lawn Society.
He graduated from the UVA McIntyre School of Commerce with a degree in finance before spending two years as a lieutenant in the Army stationed in Germany. He returned home to Front Royal in 1964, when he built several apartment buildings and bought Marlow Motor Company from his father. He later purchased Tri-State Nissan in Winchester and Marlow Ford in Luray.
In 1968, he was one of first two Republicans elected to office in Warren County since the Reconstruction, according to the release. He served 14 years on the Warren County Board of Supervisors and was a founding director the Lord Fairfax Planning District Commission. He was elected mayor of Front Royal in 1982 and served until 1990. He was a founding director of Peoples Bank of Front Royal, a director at Jefferson Bank, and a director of First Bank. He served as a director of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, and was a chair of the Board of Trustees at Shenandoah University. He is a long-standing member and past president of the Rotary Club of Front Royal. He is also a lifetime member of the First Baptist Church of Front Royal.
“John would confidently say that when things get tough, Joyce Marlow is someone you would want on your side, and anyone who knows her would agree,” the release states. “Joyce has spent her entire life uncovering every ‘nook and cranny’ in Front Royal, where she naturally performs the simple but powerful act of valuing others and making sure that everyone has a seat at the table. Over the years you could often find her raising funds for numerous non-profits, coaching youth sports, feeding those in need, or advocating for those needing support. Joyce lights up a room with her laugh and smile and the way she makes people feel.”
Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons, president of Shenandoah University, Doug Stanley, County Administrator for Prince Edward County, and Emily Marlow Beck, president Marlow Automotive Group, spoke at the event about the Marlow’s steadfast devotion to the community and the continued prosperity for all of its citizens
For more about the Community Foundation of NSV, visit cfnsv.org.
“Community Foundation Honors Front Royal Couple as the 2024 Community Stars.” The Winchester Star, Mike Gochenour, 16 Jan. 2024, www.winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/community-foundation-honors-front-royal-couple-as-the-2024-community-stars/article_744d7770-3e91-5b0c-8d74-ff232c6324de.html. Accessed 17 Jan. 2024.
