Margie K. Marker

Margie was born in Fresno, CA on August 10, 1948, to Takumi and Haruye Omi. She went to Lincoln Elementary School, Irwin Junior High, and graduated from T A Edison High School in 1966. She and her family attended the Fresno Buddhist Church where she also studied in the Japanese Language School.

While studying biology at UC Berkeley in 1968 she met Harold Marker and during their 45 years together they had many adventures until his untimely passing in June of 2011. These included camping, running an ambulance company, working at the Del Mar Racetrack, visiting the east coast, going back to school after raising their children, and riding their Harley all around California and beyond. They lived in Oceanside from 1972 until 1997, at which point they moved to Murrieta.

Margie was a special education instructional aide (mostly reading support) for many years in the Oceanside Unified School District, first at Pacifica Elementary and then Garrison Elementary. After the boys were out of the house, she attended California State University San Marcos in the evenings and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in June 2006. She also took long-desired piano lessons starting in her 50s.

Margie’s two sons, Eric and Brian, ultimately gave her the daughters she also wanted in the forms of Ilene (Appel) and Suzanne (Squire). Brian and Suzanne then added even more joy to her life with granddaughters Katherine and Sabrina. Margie is also survived by her brother Bert Omi, sister Mary Ann Omi, and myriad aunts and cousins in California and Illinois.

Margie was a wonderfully generous person with family, friends, colleagues, and strangers. She single-handedly kept the local Hallmark stores in business, sending cards for every (and no) occasion to many she loved and purchasing every year’s special offerings. So many students were also on the receiving end of her generosity of spirit and patience. There are many who were touched by her over the years, and she will be well remembered and dearly missed.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, May 18 at 1:00 at Miller & Jones, The Crossroads Business Park, 26855 Jefferson Avenue, Murrieta, CA. Family and friends are also invited to a luncheon at Chin’s Gourmet, 27464 Jefferson Avenue, Temecula starting at 3:00.

Margie loved animals and took care of so many dogs, cats, hummingbirds, and others over the years. We encourage donations in her memory to be made to Animal Friends of the Valleys , a non-profit animal shelter serving the Inland Valley (33-0276892). Send checks to 33751 Mission Trail Road, Wildomar, CA 92595 or find more details on the donations page of www.afv.org.