Marla Ann (Priebe) Tobalsky

Marla Ann (Priebe) Tobalsky, 73, of Wausau, WI, passed peacefully at home surrounded by her family on Friday, May 3, 2024.

Born to Ruby (Cherney) Priebe and Russell Priebe on July 11, 1950, in West Bend, WI, Marla grew to be a self-professed tomboy who loved waterskiing at Seven Island Lake at her family cabin (affectionally named “Shalanary” — a compilation of the ends of the names of MarLa and her 3 sisters: MarSha, MarNa, and MaRy).

From 1970–1992, she was married to Jack Tobalsky, whom she remained close friends with and who survives her. Together, they ran Tobalsky Express, collected antiques, and raised their twin children: John (Corinne) Tobalsky and Sarah Thurs. They enjoyed family trips to fishing cabins, Florida beaches, and watching Sarah dance and John play baseball and run track.

An avid reader, Marla could always be found with a book (and a Coke) in her hand. She never stopped loving the lake and was thrilled to move to her own home on Mayflower Lake in Norrie, WI, with her fiancé Michael Costa and their beloved dog Buster. She opened Marla’s Dance Studio in Birnamwood, WI, where she taught dance for 15 years — including teaching her grandchildren: Julianna Ruby (named after Marla’s mother) Thurs and True Louis Thurs. Marla was endlessly proud of the many dance scholarships she awarded, community performances she arranged for residents at Homme Home, and the many lives she touched and friends she made through her dance studio — friends whom she remained connected to long after she retired from teaching in 2012 and moved back to the Wausau area.

Marla deftly completed The New York Times crossword puzzles in ink, and she gifted family, friends, and neighbors with her famous homemade soups, strawberry jam, and Christmas cutouts. She adored spending time with her grandchildren — baking them orange rolls; making loon calls from the dock at her lake; playing Dogopoly; and shopping for personalized Christmas ornaments with their names on them at Art in the Park each year.

An amazing array of friends, family, and neighbors allowed Marla to remain living independently on the lake and in her home in Rib Mountain, where she passed under the care of the Aspirus Hospice program. The family would like to thank all of these dear networks of people whom Marla could rely upon over the years — as well as the dedicated Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice staff who visited her — for their heartfelt care and concern for Marla.

Predeceased by her parents, her brothers Conway (Millie) York and Michael Hanna, her sisters Marna (Hornung) Brouchoud and Mary Kay Gibson, and her fiancé Michael Costa, Marla’s memory will be cherished and kept alive by her children; grandchildren; sister Marsha (Bill) Malak; other Cherney, Priebe, Tobalsky, and Costa family members; her dear friends and former students; and several local communities that were left better for her presence.

A “Celebration of Life” gathering to honor Marla Ann Tobalsky will take place on July 27, 2024, from 12-3 pm. Please contact Sarah Thurs or John Tobalsky for location details.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Women’s Community https://womenscommunity.org/ways-to-help/donate/) or the Humane Society of Marathon County (http://catsndogs.org/make-a-donation/) in Marla’s memory.