Marlene Marlene Clara Jorgenson Richmond

When Marlene Clara Richmond walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Marlene was and how she impacted those around her. Marlene was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Marlene wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Marlene was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.      Marlene was born on June 23, 1937 at home in Albert Lea, Minnesota. She was the daughter of Marjorie and Albert Jorgenson. Marlene was raised in California where she spend most of her life. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Marlene might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Marlene was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.      Marlene was raised with two siblings. She had one younger brother, Marlowe, and a younger sister, Mary. Marlene was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Marlene was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Marlene well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.      As a young girl, Marlene was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Marlene was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Marlene was a cheerleader in High School. She was in 4-H. In her spare time she liked to make paper dolls. Marlene had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.      During her high school years, Marlene responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. Marlene was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Marlene absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Marlene, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Marlene a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. Her favorite class in high school was home economics.      With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Marlene was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Marlene was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Pat and Kitty Stone. Later in life, she became friends with Jan and Larry and many acquaintances. Marlene married Richard Davis on January 3, 1952. Her second marriage was to Don Richmond August 17, 1974. When she married Richard they went to a Justice of the Peace, when she married Don, they married in a Chapel in Santa Barbara, California and Anaheim, California. Marlene's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Richard and then Donald's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Marlene was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.      Marlene was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Marlene, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Richmond home. Marlene's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Marlene was blessed with two children, two step-children: one son, Michael, and one daughter Kathryn, one step son, Doug and one step daughter, Beverly. They were also blessed with 2 grandchildren, 2 step-grandchildren, 1 step-great grandchild, Jennifer, Blake, Brian (deceased), Kimmy, and one great grandchild, Kylie.      Marlene was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was bookkeeper. She was employed for 27 years by South Union Truck Repair. Marlene was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Marlene had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Marlene's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.      Because Marlene loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were ceramics, painting and flower arrangement. Marlene had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Marlene's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.      Marlene derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. Her charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Marlene was a Cheerleader. Recreational sports included bowling with her husband Don. Marlene was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity.      Throughout her life, Marlene was actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Marlene seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Marlene usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with her, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout her later years, Marlene was an active member of the Artisan's Guild.      Because Marlene was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, she always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Marlene's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made her a great asset. Marlene found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Marlene was an active member of several community groups, serving on board for the Chester Village Home Owner's Association.      Marlene was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. In Marlene's final days she committed her life to Jesus Christ thanks to the prayers of her family, friends and the hospice minister, Steve. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.      Though she never did anything solely for individual recognition, Marlene's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned her accolades for her many lifelong efforts. Marlene earned recreational awards for bowling.      Marlene's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Marlene took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included Hawaii, Colorado and Idaho.      Marlene was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Rusty, a Cocker Spaniel dog, was a best friend for 7 years.      When Marlene's retirement finally came in 2009 (terminated) and soon became ill., Marlene handled it the way she usually did. She adapted and, like everything in her life, made it satisfying. Because she was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Marlene to master. Her new life involved relocating to Texas to be closer to family. Even in retirement, Marlene continued to stay in touch with her old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.      Marlene Richmond passed away on November 11, 2009 at at the residence of her daughter and son-in-law in Fort Worth, Texas. Marlene fought a brave battle against cancer. She is survived by her mother Marjorie, daughter Kathryn, her bother Marlowe and sister Mary, and grandchildren Jennifer, Blake and Kimmy. Marlene's ashes will be eventually scattered in memorial garden in Bakersfield with her husband Donald Richmond.      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Marlene. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Marlene Richmond for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Marlene was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.