Feb. 7, 1926 - June 19, 2019
Beloved wife of Dan, mother to Nancy and Marc, mother-in-law to Linda, aunt, cousin and friend, passed away in her sleep on June 19th at 93. Marie survived her noble and big-hearted husband by 33 years and missed him terribly, and she suffered a number of health setbacks as well. But, she lived a long and happy life because she was grateful for what she had, and believed the best of people.
She never met a child, a dog, a party or a chocolate confection she didn’t love. And her boundless optimism and genuine compassion for others came from her faith, and loving and nurturing childhood in Santa Barbara. Marie, her parents Edith and Jim, older and musically gifted brother George lived adjacent to her beloved Aunt Vera and Uncle Roy and dear cousins Lorraine, Dorothy and Ray. They were so close, they dubbed her “Sister.”
Marie carried those admirable traits throughout her life -- as a student at Santa Barbara High School and San Jose State University, as a secretary at Kemper Insurance in Los Angeles (where she met her forever man, Dan), a wife, mother and homemaker in Whittier, Hollywood and Santa Monica and later as an adult education student in political science, art and current events at Santa Monica College.
She touched so many with her bright outlook and sweet, generous spirit. She cheered our successes, comforted us in our struggles and never failed to send a birthday card or have a gift at the ready for a relative or friend – yes, often a box of See’s Nuts & Chews.
She loved jazz music (Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis), the great vocalists (Tony Bennett and Sting were among her favorite singers) and the French impressionists when it came to art. She was also a water color artist herself.
Marie was always curious, always positive and always encouraging others to have a good time and enjoy life or share in a learning experience.
Some of her pet phrases that uniquely expressed her rosy perspective were: "You never know?”, "Improving little by little" and “Aren’t we lucky?”. Even going out for a quick lunch became a party -- “You didn’t tell me today was going to be this good.” If the outing included chocolate chip cookies, brownies or a chocolate shake, it was even more of reason for her to celebrate.
A favorite family “Marieism” was saved for those blue, sun-filled Southern California days and sums up her buoyant nature: "Look at the sky -- it's just for us."
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