Marie Jean Malmquist

Survived by daughter Denise & son-in-law Dave, and son Allen, her nieces MaryAnne &

Pam, nephews Paul (also Godson), John, & Scott, and their families. Anita is also very close

to and survived by 12 of the neighborhood children, and Doug (Godson), Mary, and Alaric.

Anita was born in the Imperial Valley to Jean & Marie Louissena. Her mom passed when

Anita was only 4 years old. Anita went to live with her mom’s relatives in San Francisco -

John Louissena and his wife, Dominica, and their daughter, Denise. They raised Anita as

their own. Denise & Anita grew up as sisters.

Anita went to Star of the Sea Elementary and High School. The family owned and operated

The Tricolor Restaurant on Geary, where their daughters worked as waitresses. The

Malmquist family (Olof, Florence, Ann, and Jerry) were regulars at the Tricolor, and always

sat at one of Anita’s table. Anita & Jerry dated, and in 1951, they married. Denise was

born in 1952. Allen was born in 1959; at this time, Anita stopped working outside the

home, settling into fulltime mom and housewife.

In 1956, the family home in the Sunset District of SF was purchased right nextdoor to

lifetime friends Ken & Alverna Snodgrass. The families were part of the neighborhood of

close families including the Proseks, Mulls, & Bockeses. Thirteen kids called all five houses

home and were raised in a village atmosphere. Anita was active in the kids’ schools and

activities like Scouts and sport teams. The families shared picnics, fishing outings,

Disneyland trips, 4th of July BBQs, other holiday celebrations, matching Christmas gifts for

kids, and more. Backyards included gates for easy travel house to house. Parents often had

dinner together and shared social outtngs and time together.

The neighborhood adults joined the Civic Light Opera. Anita enjoyed over 50 years of

theater attendance. As folks dropped out, membership passed on to Denise & Allen &

Dave & Mary & Bruce and friends, through Best of Broadway, SHN, and SF Broadway for a

total of subscription attendance by family & friends of over 65 years. Anita was part of a

gal’s night out dinner group with friends and family for a number of years, too.

Anita had an adventurous soul. She loved to travel. She and Jerry traveled the USA

throughout California, and multiple trips to Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. They saw

Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts,

Martha’s Vineyard, and more. Canada & Mexico were destinations for numerous

vacations. They crossed the Pond and enjoyed weeks at a time in England, Scotland,

Wales, and Ireland. With Denise & Dave, they cruised the Columbia & Snake rivers, then

cruised the Mediterranean visiting many places in Italy, France, Spain, & Monaco, and

later cruised to Alaska.

Anita and her sister Denise remained super close throughout their lives, seeing each other

whenever possible, and always connecting by telephone multiple times each week. They

spent summers together with all the kids at Russian River, and later when the kids were

grown, they traveled back to the Basque lands to visit their heritage homeland.

With Jerry, Denise, Allen, Dave, Mary, & Bruce, Anita snorkeled the Pacific off Hawaii, even

though she could barely swim, trusting her kids to keep her safe. She rode helicopters over

volcanoes and right up to thundering waterfalls. She hiked out on new lava flows. She

kayaked Wailua River on Kauai and Lake Tahoe. With family & friends she climbed

Diamond Head, hiked all over Yosemite valley, & trails on Mt Tamalpais, and around the

Marin Watershed lakes; Anita went horseback riding in National Parks and along the hills

of Hawaii, even though she was terrified of horses. She frolicked in the Gulf waters. She

took an airboat through the Everglades. She wanted to go hang-gliding one time, but

winds got in the way. Even when a wheelchair became necessary, she loved family

vacations, day outings, holiday family gatherings, and social activites.

Anita created beautiful Christmas ornaments, Easter sugar eggs, and wonderful family

celebration place cards. She loved eating out, going to movies, listening to music, and

family trips to Disneyland. She loved our family cats: Freddy, DC, Flip, and Margie.

Anita lived alone at home when Jerry moved into a care facility in 2012. She later moved

in with Denise & David. Her last few years required professional care. She made true

friends with her fellow residents who together with their wonderful caregivers were a

family in their small suburban home.

Anita touched many lives during her 93.67 years. She passed gently, leaving the good life

she had here to step into the new adventure of whatever is beyond. She is so very missed.

She didn’t want a funeral service.

If you would like to remember her, please support one of her causes through memorial

giving in her name:

St. Jude Hospital

https://www.stjude.org/give/memorials-and-dedicaQons.html?sc_icid=wtg-mmmemorial-

giving

or

Mountain Play Association - A great outdoor theater adventure

https://tickets.mountainplay.org/TheatreManager/1/login?donation=0

Thank you.