Marjorie Suzanne Landale

September 15, 1961 – 2025

Marjorie “Marjie” Landale, beloved sister, friend, and community anchor, passed away this spring in her Pittsburgh home at the age of 63.

Born September 15, 1961, in Meredith, New Hampshire, Marjie was the eighth of ten children of Suzanne (Chevalier) and Thomas Landale. She grew up in a small town outside of London for her first six years, then in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. There, in a lively household of ten siblings, she experienced a “tribal” childhood filled with ritual and play–marathon card games, round-robin ping-pong, and legendary Christmases complete with 13′ trees and sibling pyramids.

Marjie carried forward that sense of joy, creativity, and connection throughout her life. She developed an early love of photography, often experimenting in her basement darkroom, and was known as the family’s most thoughtful gift-giver. She studied English at Penn State, then moved to Pittsburgh, where she worked at Graffiti nightclub and later became a longtime waitress, bartender, and manager in Regent Square.

At Regent Square Tavern, Marjie made a huge difference as a waitress. In 1999, The Wall Street Journal profiled her in “Waitress Makes the Difference in Bringing Deaf to Pittsburgh Bar,” telling the story of how Marjie quietly learned American Sign Language to welcome a deaf patron, who in turn invited others. The tavern became a beloved gathering place for both hearing and deaf customers.

In 2004, Marjie purchased the tavern and remodeled it into “The Map Room.” She did much of the painting and tile-work herself. She decorated it with antique maps inherited from her father. The Map Room became a community hub, a place where people truly felt welcome. When indoor smoking was banned, she installed fold-down tables outside, so smokers could stay. Good food was served at The Map Room, drawing families. Her regulars found a safe harbor. Stories and laughter were shared, and in August, people watched the Little League World Series on ESPN.

Marjie’s life reflected her independence, her loyalty, and her gifts for both hospitality and connection. She lived just a block from The Map Room on a tree-lined street, where she enjoyed neighborhood block parties and long walks through Frick Park.

Though later years brought challenges with health and increasing isolation, Marjie and her family remained connected with one another. Siblings visited for concerts, dinners, and even a Rolling Stones show together. She continued to send perfectly chosen and beautifully wrapped gifts, a shining expression of her care. In her final years, she was still able to share at times her sparkling eyes, delighted smile, and whole-hearted laughter, especially with children.

Marjie’s death is deeply mourned by her siblings, Ed, Carol, Nora, Louie, Jim, Kathy, and Stephen, as well as their spouses, cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, and Map Room patrons. She is predeceased by her parents, Suzanne and Thomas, and her brothers Ray and David.

Marjie’s legacy lives on in the countless lives she touched–through creativity, humor, and her gift for creating places of belonging. Her family invites all who knew her to honor her by practicing the values she embodied: open-hearted hospitality, hard work, love of family and friends, and joy in shared stories.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (www.wpsd.org).