Ehret, Mardena Kay

Mardena Kay Ehret passed peacefully at her home in the early morning hours of Jan. 10, 2013. Services will be held Friday, Jan. 18, at 1 p.m. at All Saints Anglican Catholic Church in Aiken, S.C., with Father George Alexander presiding. Following the service, a reception will take place at the General Elliott Inn in Aiken.

She is predeceased by her parents, Martin Dean Ehret and Gladys Mildred Murdock Ehret; and her brother, Anthony Kent Ehret.

Surviving her is Stephen Boyko, her devoted husband of 38 years; and her siblings, Michael, Vaughn and the Rev. Brenda Ehret. Survivors also include her nephews and nieces: JP Krejci, Michelle Ehret Hall, Heather Ehret, Sonya Ehret Woolsey, Chad and Lindsay Ehret and her “adopted” niece, Alex Karkos.

Mardena lived life with a great sense of adventure - exploring much of the United States and many countries abroad. After growing up in Central City, Iowa, Mardena packed her life into her car and headed toward the west coast, then later traveled to the east coast. Ultimately she settled in Washington, D.C. While working for the National Association of Securities Dealers, she met the man who would become her teammate for life. She and Stephen were married May 25, 1974, and lived for many decades in Bethesda, Md. Together they immensely enjoyed golfing, traveling and gourmet dining. They relocated to Aiken, S.C., in 2005 and quickly found their social element with a plethora of wonderful new friends.

Gourmet cooking, gardening, reading and lifelong learning were some of Mardena's favorite pastimes. A 1994 graduate of the University of Maryland, she earned a B.A. in English, having been a guest of Sheffield University in England for a yearlong sabbatical. The majority of her career life consisted of her work in the field of administration at NASD, PBS, and various accounting and legal firms.

Mardena lived her life with great purpose and diligence. She doted on her husband and was a great influence in the lives of JP and Alex. She was never a victim to her cancer diagnosis; rather she lived fully each day despite the disease. She and Stephen were an in-sync team through thick and thin, a connection which deepened during the last few years of her life. While her physical presence will be profoundly missed, her gift of love will live on.

The family would like to thank Dr. Shlaer and his staff and Trinity Hospice staff members for their expert and tender care. Our gratitude is without measure for the many friends who stood by Mardena and Stephen through these last four years. Your continual acts of love and kindness helped them make it through the trenches of cancer.

Carrying out her wishes to support the medical community in overcoming cancer, Mardena's body has been donated for medical research purposes. In honor of this woman, who lived all of life with grace and dignity, donations may be made to the Art Patchin Foundation.

Published Jan. 13, 2013 in The Gazette