Mrs. William (Marvel Ann) Powers

Marvel was the eldest of eleven siblings, born July 11, 1925 to Walter and Mary Van Laanen in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Upon finishing high school, Marci left Green Bay for Washington DC to join a generation of women entering the American workforce in support of the country’s World War II effort. She became a secretary in the Department of State, eventually supporting then Secretary of State General George Marshall. She was thrilled to be a part of the US Delegation to the Second Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, and a part of the US Delegation to the Council of Foreign Ministers in London. She was present for the development of the Marshall Plan, which would support the redevelopment of a post-WWII Europe.

Towards the end of the war she met and married Navy Ensign William “Bill” Powers. After helping him finish college at George Washington University, they moved to his home state of Oklahoma where she worked in the office of the President of the University of Oklahoma (OU) while Bill attended law school at the university. During that time she encouraged five of her siblings to join them in Oklahoma whereupon she helped them secure employment and supported them in their pursuit of college degrees at OU. Upon Bill’s graduation, they moved to New York City where Bill began a finance training program with General Electric (GE), and where they welcomed the birth of their first child, Kile. Upon the completion of Bill’s training they joined GE’s International Division with an initial assignment at Manila in the Philippine Islands, where Bill was to serve as Finance Director of GE Philippines. They departed for Manila with Marci 7-months pregnant with their second child (Kim) and a hope of seeing the post-war world. Twenty-one years and three children later, they were still in the Philippines and Bill was the head of GE for South East Asia.

Marci loved her life in the Philippines where she immersed herself in the community serving on committees within the American / International School, the Catholic Women’s Club, the American Association of the PI and a variety of other community volunteer organizations. She played bridge, organized her children’s lives, enjoyed activities at the Manila Polo Club, wrote endless letters to her large family on the other side of the world and made many of her life long friendships during the 21 years she lived there. She attended receptions for several US Presidents at Malacanang Palace, and was afforded the opportunity to welcome several US Ambassadors and other dignitaries, some of whom she had met during her time at the State Department. In addition, she and Bill travelled around the globe, exposing their children to a plethora of world cultures. The life of an ExPat was truly an amazing and fascinating time.

After 21 years in the Philippines, they moved to GE Headquarters in Connecticut in 1976 and they spent summers in Aspen, Colorado enjoying the Aspen Music Festival and time with her children—“the 4K’s”-- who were slowly settling in Colorado. After several retirement years in Apopka, Florida, they moved to Colorado Springs permanently in 1997 where Marci became a member of the Tuesday Luncheon Club and became involved with the Village at Skyline community.

Marci lived 10 decades and is survived by three generations of family who will miss her elegance, poise, counsel, mischievous humor and gentle spirit. Her “4 K’s” are Kile (Toni) Powers, Kim (Dave) Matthews, Kevin (Tracy) Powers, Kelly (Pam) Powers. Grandchildren include Dr. Heather (Dale) Cassidy, Billy (Lily) Matthews, Blair Powers, and Kela Powers ( Joe Ligocki). In her later years her 5 great grandchildren were her greatest delight: Bridger and Cody Cassidy, Brooks and Scott Matthews, and Ames Ligocki.

The family wants to express their gratitude to the staff at Morningstar Bear Creek for their phenomenal care over that last several years as dementia reduced their mothers’ cognitive state.

A private service was held. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the University of Colorado Foundation: CAMP Endowed Scholarship. (PO Box 17126, Denver, CO 80217) This scholarship is designed to educate future doctors at CU to the challenges patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) may pose. With your support, CU will equip students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to provide stellar care for patients with IDD, like her grandson, Chris.