Marion Sagar Boyd

Equipped with a slight but perceptible southern drawl and fiery spirit that never quit, Marion Boyd, 74, of San Rafael passed away on July 22, 2020 after a battle with ovarian cancer. She was born on May 13, 1946 to parents John Sagar and Thorburn Lillard in Elkin, North Carolina. John Sagar, (born in Wales, UK) and Thorburn (Elkin, North Carolina) raised their four daughters spending time between their summer home in Roaring Gap and Elkin, NC. Marion graduated from Elkin High School and received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1968. After graduation during the summer of love she decided to head west to visit some friends in San Francisco. She never went back. There she met William Boyd who had just returned from a tour in Vietnam to attend Stanford Law School. They were married in 1974 in Roaring Gap, NC and moved to Marin County to raise a family. They had two children Mitchell Sagar, (1976) and Sterling McMicking (1979) and lived in the Sun Valley neighborhood of San Rafael. William and Marion divorced in 1989.

In the early 1990’s, Marion went to work for Marin Center in San Rafael. Marion served as the Deputy Director of Cultural Services for many years and worked on all Marin Center events and programs, the Marin County Fair, and many other County initiatives. Marion started as a volunteer usher and went on to serve in many roles including event coordinator, event supervisor and finally Deputy Director. She loved the Marin Center and was well known for remaining cool under pressure and handling any issue that came her way with grace and dignity.

Marion never met a hobby she did not completely devour. She was a competitive tennis player, avid reader, race walker, hula dancer and played ukulele with her friends in the UFOhana in San Rafael; she always took her hobbies seriously and excelled.

While she believed in living a more private life, for her friends and family Marion had an overwhelming kindness and sense of spirituality that she was always willing to share over an iced tea at her favorite haunt, Bogies in San Rafael.

She was a dear friend of Marin, a true partner to those she loved and a beloved mother and grandmother. She is survived by her three sisters, Sterling Vestal, Ann Roach and Sara Sagar, two children Mitchell and Sterling, five grandchildren and her wonderful partners William Boyd, Dean Jones and Sandy Bailey.

In lieu of flowers please donate to PIKOhana. a non-profit cofounded by Marion that helps children learn about music by providing Ukulele’s to Elementary School Music programs. All donations can be sent to PIKOhana, 1585 Vendola Dr., San Rafael, CA. email: [email protected]