Marie L Handley

Marie Louise Handley was born on August 29, 1927, in Hartford, Connecticut. She was raised by her parents, Emil and Victoria Hallgren, in the greater Hartford area where she attended Bulkeley High School. She loved to sing and was a member of the choir and glee clubs, as well as the chemistry club. Her father worked as a welder at Fuller Welding Company. He worked on bridges and at SUBASE New London. Her mother, Vicky, was a trained pianist. She was even considered for the prestigious Julliard School. The family attended Broadview Community Church on Oliver Street in Hartford where Marie attended Sunday School. The church had a bowling alley downstairs where Marie even got to reset pins with her friends. On holidays, they attended a Swedish Lutheran church (Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Emanuel Church on Capitol Avenue) where the service was conducted in Swedish. Her father understood the language, having been raised in a home where the family spoke Swedish. In fact, he would often communicate with Marie’s Grandma, Mary Louise, in Swedish, especially when he didn’t want her to know what they were saying.

Her father grew tired of the New England winters, so after Labor Day in 1946, after Marie had graduated from Bulkeley High School, the family drove cross country to California. They stayed for a few days with a Navy buddy in Long Beach. They visited some friends in San Diego and were sold on moving to San Diego. Marie attended night school at SDHS, learning how to operate office machines and complete clerical work. She replied in writing to a newspaper ad for work at Whiting-Mead Lumber Company, was interviewed and then hired as a comptometer operator.

Within a year, Marie’s mother became homesick for the East Coast, so they packed up and moved back to Connecticut in 1947. On the promise of the same job with the Whiting-Mead, Marie returned to San Diego on a Greyhound bus in the spring of 1948 with her best friend, June. Her parents joined her in the fall of 1948 after the North American blizzard devastated the region. They found a home to rent at 711 Law Street in Pacific Beach.

Her friend, Pearline, invited her to the First Baptist Church (White Temple) and they became close friends. Pearline’s boyfriend, Bob, had a friend from the post office named Damon Handley. The group headed to Tijuana to watch and bet on the Jai Alai in January of 1950. Marie and Damon hit it off well. In fact, when Marie returned home that night, she told her parents that she had met the man she was going to marry. They were engaged in July and married later that year on October 15 at First Presbyterian Church where she was a member of the choir. They honeymooned up and down the California coast, traveling in Damon’s 1949 Pontiac.

Their firstborn, Joan, was born in August of 1952, followed by Sharon in March of 1956, Damon (Skip) in July of 1958 and Tom in May of 1960. Damon graduated from SDSU with a degree in mathematics and began working for General Dynamics. In 1965, Damon was offered a job with Control Data in Sunnyvale, so the family moved north. Within a few years, Damon was transferred to the Los Angeles area. The family settled in Northridge where Marie served as a stay-at-home mom for the kids. She re-entered the work force in the late 1960s with Security Pacific Bank (Bank of America). Damon was transferred back to San Diego in 1975, so the family returned home to their roots in La Mesa. Marie was an avid reader. Her other hobbies included bridge, crossword puzzles, sudoku and conversing on the phone with her friends. After retirement, she enjoyed traveling with Damon. They were both active members of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in La Mesa. She was proud of her Swedish heritage, spending hours preparing food for the Christmas Eve Swedish Smorgasbord. She also loved volunteering with her friends at La Mesa Thrift, as well as writing letters and cards to her family and friends. After 54 years of marriage, Damon passed away in 2005. Marie delighted in spending time with family and traveling to the East Coast and Hawaii with her daughters, Joan and Sharon.

She is survived by her children: Joan Dedrick of Bonita, Sharon Handley of El Cajon, Damon (Michelle) Handley III of La Mesa, and Thomas (Katie) Handley of La Mesa. Her grandchildren include Christopher, Sean, Carla, Melissa, Aimee, Kris, Chase, and Joshua. Great grandchildren include Sofia, Nick, Sean, Max, Cayden, Christian and Adalynn.

Marie was deeply loved and admired by her family and friends. She was a wonderful listener, very supportive and known for her kindness and warmth. "Those we love do not go away. They walk beside us every day." In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Luke’s Lutheran Church and the San Diego Humane Society.

Marie’s service will be held on Tuesday, September 15, at Glen Abbey Memorial Park in Bonita. There will be a graveside service at noon, followed by a reception outside the Chapel of the Roses from 1:00-3:00 p.m.