Marylyn Jean Spomer

Our parents Harry and Eleanora Bradley were married in December 1934. Their firstborn child and first born daughter arrived on March 14, 1937 in Fresno, California. Marylyn Jean was named after the Blessed Mother and thus began her lifelong devotion to Mary.

When Marylyn was a toddler she developed kidney disease because at that time there were no antibiotics to treat her condition. It was not until she was 8 years old that drugs were discovered that healed Marylyn’s kidneys. Consequently, over the years she spent many days very sick, and in bed, with Mom always by her side.

One day Marylyn asked mom why she had to suffer while all the other children played outside and had fun. At the tender age of three, Mom explained to Marylyn the meaning of redemptive suffering. From then on to the day she died Marylyn offered all of her sufferings to Jesus.

Marylyn became a big sister to Miriam in 1940, followed by Vernon, Therese, and Marianne.

Marylyn attended St. John’s Grammar School, and graduated early from San Joaquin Memorial High School in 1954 at the age of 17, to enter the Sisters of the Holy Cross at Notre Dame, Indiana.

Marylyn became a school teacher with a BA degree, and was assigned to many Catholic schools throughout the Western Region of the Holy Cross Order.

She was always full of adventure and made learning fun! At one school Marylyn taught all of her 4th graders how to knit; as principal she had a newspaper drive and took the entire school to the San Diego Zoo!

In 1971 Marylyn was in a serious car accident. She was badly injured, and after the Pope granted her permission to leave the Holy Cross Order, having been a nun for 17 years, she returned home to be cared for by her mother and father, and with time was healed from her injuries.

Marylyn and Del’s Love Story

Marylyn's father was an accountant for Mr. Spomer the owner of a Tobacco and Candy Store in Fresno. The two men and their wives became friends as well as business associates. Mr. Spomer took an active interest in Marylyn and her convent, sending gifts of candy and donations to the nuns. When she came home to visit, she always stopped by their house to thank the Spomers in person, but never met their only son who lived at home and worked at the store with his father.

After recovering from the accident, Marylyn earned two Masters in Administration and Psychology. She went on to receive her PHD in Education/Psychology - Specializing in Learning Disabilities.

She received a very nice congratulations gift from the Spomers. Marylyn went by their home to thank them and met Delbert for the first time. For Marylyn it was love at first sight!

They chatted - she mostly because Del was very shy - so to further the relationship Marylyn asked him if he would like to take a ride in her brand new car. Del agreed. She gave him her business card with all her degrees including the PHD as she hoped to impress him.

In December Mr. Spomer passed away. Marylyn called and after condolences were said, Delbert asked Marylyn on a date for Saturday night. Marylyn was thrilled!

Dinner was lovely and talk was easy, so he asked if she would like to go see a Chuck Bronson movie. Marylyn agreed not knowing anything about movies, but anything Delbert wanted to do was okay with her. After the movie she suggested getting a treat at Denny's where they talked for a couple of hours before Marylyn drove Del home.

Getting Delbert home so late was a problem for Mrs. Spomer, who thought her son had been seduced! Delbert had not dated since his twenties so at 43 this was something new for his mother. The daily calls made his mom worry even more!

Marylyn bought Del a book for Christmas. Then for his birthday in February she invited him to Disneyland for the weekend. This was way too much for his mother! Marylyn was in trouble!

His mother called her mother. Her father and Del talked. They convinced their parents that they were in love!

An engagement party was held in March 1978. Marylyn and Del were married shortly after on June 17!

Del’s mother Emma suffered a serious stroke before the end of 1978. Both women had learned to love and respect each other. Marylyn took loving care of Emma until her passing nine years later.

Marylyn and Del were married for 43 years before he died with Marylyn by his side on December 19, 2021.

Marylyn’s Life of Service

After recovering from her accident Marylyn opened a private kindergarten with the permission of Monsignor Cleary on the grounds of St. Therese Church. St. Therese kindergarten was open from 1971 to 1979 and served over 320 children and their families.

After receiving her Doctorate, Marylyn became the School Psychologist for the Diocese of Fresno. She oversaw 29 schools and helped over 10,000 children with disabilities. She supported many parents and their children as they walked through the struggles and joys of daily life. Marylyn was a grand teacher and understood the different ways we learn, perhaps better than ourselves.

Marylyn’s Great Joys In Life

Marylyn was devoted to her parents and loved her siblings deeply. Marylyn visited our family once a year when she was in the convent. Each summer we spent 10 days laughing, eating good food and laughing some more! Our dad always took pictures and movies of us the entire time!

Marylyn delighted in her nieces and nephews, her cousins, and her great nieces and nephews. She loved any opportunity to spend time and holidays with them. Marylyn signed on to Instagram just to stay connected with the younger generation of relatives!

Delbert was the love of her life! Matching shirts were their daily attire- from their collection acquired while traveling the entire United States, and going to Disneyland many times!

Marylyn loved to drive everywhere and really enjoyed every minute she was behind the wheel. She gave up driving when her eyes started to fail and then took taxi rides or she and Del rode their 3 wheel scooters on the sidewalk to the grocery store and doctor appointments!

Marylyn and Del frequently vacationed in Pismo, making most of their meals in their motel room! Can you see it now? The Kon Tiki Inn was their second home! They took their dogs with them wherever they traveled - miniature dachshunds: Gretel, Hannah, Heidi, Emma and Mollie.

Marylyn loved adventure and believed in dreams coming true! Her dreams came true and she wanted her family’s dreams to come true too! With Del’s blessing they helped her family’s dreams come true many times over.

Marylyn made sure that Santa always visited her nieces’ and nephews’ homes in the wee hours of Christmas morning. The children awoke and were delighted by the many presents under their trees.

Marylyn was devoted to the Holy Rosary and to the Venerable Father Patrick Peyton of Holy Cross Ministries. “The Family that Prays Together, Stays Together.” Marylyn supported his mission in life and will continue supporting his mission in death.

Marylyn and Del embarked on one last adventure before Del died. They moved to San Juan Capistrano for 6 years and felt the ocean breeze come through their french doors each day.

After Del died Marylyn desired to become a lay Franciscan and follow in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. She studied with a group of very special people, and after 2 years was given permission to make her public and permanent Profession into the Secular Franciscan Order on June 8, 2024. It was at this time that Our Lord was leading Marylyn to come back home to be surrounded by her family; and so on the day after her Profession, we took Marylyn home to Fresno.

Last but not least, Marylyn loved chocolate candy! She always had a stash in her drawer. Dessert on most days was one piece of chocolate! Close competition was a glazed donut which she requested frequently and her wish was our command!

Marylyn’s Friends

Wherever God led Marylyn through her life from growing up in Fresno, to living in the convent, then coming back to Fresno, vacationing in Pismo, exploring all the cities in the entire United States, moving to San Juan Capistrano, and finally coming back home- Marylyn has made life long friends all along the way. Every single person is special to Marylyn and she loves each one of you and prayed for each one of you each day and for your special intentions. From heaven she will intercede for all of us.

Coming Home

Marylyn moved in with her niece Autumn and Marcus and Marylyn’s great nephew and nieces, Noah, Noel and Amelia, and their dog Lily. For a year and a half they have taken care of Marylyn with tender loving care.

Each day was filled with daily Mass on her phone, the sounds of children and the dog barking, and late night laughter between Marylyn, Autumn and Marcus before she listened to the daily rosary app before bed.

Caregivers came weekly to help Autumn and brought with them love and joy for Marylyn, as well as many delicious meals!

In these last months Marylyn’s heath was declining but on the good days there was much fun to be had! Starbuck’s drive thru, dance recitals, family birthday parties, her 70th high school reunion, Christmas morning with Autumn’s family and Christmas Day with extended family, lunch dates to Moto, ice cream at Ampersand, baby showers, adventures to the coast, Red Tent weekend retreats, daily phone calls to her friends in San Juan Capistrano, a season of Survivor, CBS News and daily soap operas that Marylyn had watched for years!

Recently, Marylyn went to the Build-A-Bear store with Noel and Amelia. She never imagined she would find her sixth dog- a stuffed toy dachshund she named Diana. Marylyn slept with her every night.

Jesus and Marylyn

Marylyn loved Jesus with all her heart. Her relationship with the Blessed Mother only led her closer and closer to Jesus each day. Her entire life was lived for Jesus. She offered everyday and every suffering to Our Lord as a gift to Him and a gift for those in her life who were in need of prayer.

Marylyn was blessed with receiving our Lord in the Eucharist almost everyday these last months, at home or in the hospital. She always said that she could not make it without receiving Jesus. She also felt blessed to receive the Sacrament of the Sick on several occasions including the hours before she died.

Marylyn asked favors of the Blessed Mother everyday, and everyday the Blessed Mother came through!

The Final Journey

Marylyn always reminded us that Eucharist means thanksgiving. How appropriate that we were all around Marylyn’s bed on Thanksgiving Day as she was making her way to Jesus. Marylyn died early Friday morning, November 28, 2025, on the Feast of St. Catherine Labouré who was the patron saint of the Miraculous Medal.

Farewell

As we enter this Advent Season that Marylyn loved so much, we are thanking God for 88 years with Marylyn, for her peaceful death, and that we were all present.

We are joyful in the knowing that she is with Our Risen Lord, and reunited with Del, her parents, her sister Miriam, her sister-in-love Roberta, her cousin Kathi, her nieces Patricia and Noel, her great-nephews Alfredo and John and many family and friends. The missing of you is without measure. Pray for us, Marylyn, until we meet again.

All our love

Loved by,

Her brother, Vern

Her sisters and brothers-in-love, Therese & Joe, Marianne & Scott and

Candy & Jim

Daughters, Terese & Fred and Susan & Rick

Nieces and Nephews: Lourdene and Miguel (RIP), George, Anne and Ivan, Joseph and Angelica, David and Neffertti, Jacob and Elisabeth, Autumn and Marcus, Toby, Noah and Gisela, Micah and Zoe, Ian and Jocelyn, Brigid and Ted, Maire and Jon, Christian and McKenzie, and Anders and Mei

Great-Nieces and Nephews: Miriam, Brian, Macario, Harry, Mary, Guadalupe, Spencer, Mackenzie, Sadie, Mason, Delaney, Adam, Enrique, Juan, Zerrell, Harper, Bailey, Margaux, Noah, Noel, Amelia, Elijah, Lochlann, Piper, Adeline, Memo, Camila and Ben

Cousins: Shawn and Dean, Madison and Joe, Makenna and Matt, Remington, Lexington and Jarred, and Greg

And many more loved family and friends.