Marie Volla

Marie was born on October 27, 1948, to parents Woodrow Wilson Rowles and Kathryn Audrey Rowles in Niagara Falls, New York. She was preceded in death by her parents and the granddaughter she adored, Amanda Leigh Huish.

Marie is survived by her husband Marty and her son Chad Swinford and daughter-in-law Brandy Swinford. She is also survived by her sister Valeria, her children, Vickie, Eric and his wife Elissa, Rodney, and grandson Tyler, her sister Susie and her husband Vern, and by her baby sister Vickie, her partner Ramiro, their son James and his wife Kara, and grandchildren Emmy, Cruz and Luna.

When Marie married Marty she became the stepmom to his son Matt, and his daughter Chrissy, her husband Don and grandchildren Camilla, Calder and Capri.

There are so many people in Marie’s life, family and friends, that love her – too many to mention by name. One that needs to be mentioned is our cousin Shelby and her family. Shelby joined us in Arizona after her and Jeff got married and we celebrated lots of holidays, births, marriages and life together.

Marie graduated from Washington High School in 1966. She graduated from Grand Canyon College (now Grand Canyon University, GCU) in 1970. She fulfilled her dream of becoming a teacher starting at Peoria Elementary School, moved to Cactus High School, and became principal at Ironwood High School, all in the Peoria School District. In 1995, Marie accepted the position of principal at Torrey Pines High School, fulfilling her dream of living in California by the beach. She also worked for the San Diego County Office of Education as well as taught at Point Loma Nazarene University.

Marie loved the ocean and the beach, travel and experiencing other cultures. She was an avid scuba diver and a marathon runner in her younger years.

Marie’s faith and church were important to her and her friends at Solana Beach Presbyterian Church have missed her dearly. She was passionate about serving immigrants and other underserved communities and supporting education for girls across the world.

There are no words to express how grateful the family is for the care and love she received at Terra Point Memory Care since 2/1/2021, each and every day. They didn’t just care about her, they talked to her with dignity and showed genuine love for her. They were as devastated as we were when she passed away, crying right along with us. They are angels.

The funeral for Marie will be held on Tuesday, July 7th, with visitation at 9am, service at 10am and graveside service at 11am. The funeral and a casual luncheon following the graveside service will all be held at West Resthaven Funeral Home, 6450 W. Northern Ave., Glendale, AZ 85301.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the following: Alzheimer’s Association: https://donorservices.alz.org, or Keep a Girl in School (send checks to Solana Beach Presbyterian Church, 120 Stevens Ave., Solana Beach, CA 92075 (designate Keep a Girl in School). Marie would be honored by a donation to the school of your choice.