Marion & Tom Novotny

Marion Novotny, 91, died peacefully at ManorCare in Boulder on Sunday, June 27, 2010. She was born August 15, 1918 in Hamilton, Scotland to Thomas Reeder Rodger and Marion Lee Rodger. She was baptized in the Burnbank parish Church on September 22, 1918.

Marion, with her parents and two of her sisters – Grace and Genevieve, emigrated to the U.S. through Canada in 1922. Another sister, Henrietta, was born in the U.S. Her father was a coal miner in Scotland and then in Pennsylvania. Eventually her family moved to Chicago where she graduated from Fenger High School. She met and married Emil Novotny in 1942.

Marion was a dedicated homemaker until her sons graduated from high school. She then worked as a telephone switchboard operator at a stock brokerage firm in Chicago and later for the same firm as a receptionist in Denver. After their first grandchildren were born, Emil and Marion moved to Boulder to be closer to them.

Marion’s greatest claim to fame is her delicious shortbread, for which family and friends eagerly awaited at holidays and special occasions.

After Emil passed away in 1993, Marion and her son Tom remained in Boulder, where he cared for her, particularly during the last year of her life. Marion took great delight in her grandchildren until the very end.

Marion was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters, her husband Emil and her son Tom. She is survived by her son Gerald F. Novotny (Pamela) and five grandchildren: Anna, Claire, Rachel Novotny Ecker (Sam), Sam and Elijah.

Services for Marion and her son Tom, who were so connected in life, will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 1, 2010 at Sacred Heart of Jesus church. Rosary will be Wednesday, June 30 at 7 p.m. at Crist Mortuary.