Marcella Marie White

Marcella “Marcie” White passed away Saturday, October 11th, 2025 in San Luis Obispo, California. She was 83 years old. Marcie is remembered by those who love her for her sharp wit, her defiant individuality, and her commitment to living a full and adventurous life.

Marcie was born to Helen and Leonard Bess on June 7th, 1942, in Buena Park, California. Marcie’s family lived for several years in Washington State before her father – a U.S. Air Force Officer – was stationed in Germany. Marcie attended school in both Munich and Sacramento, graduating from Highlands High School in 1959. She later earned her associates degree in social science at Modesto Junior College.

Marcie lived with a hunger for experience. She was a lover of the arts who regularly sought out theater, live music, and art galleries. An avid reader interested in other points of view, Marcie devoured literature and reporting on current events. She read the Sunday New York Times with a red pen, which she used to complete the weekly crossword and to circle mistakes in spelling and grammar.

Marcie enjoyed spending time in nature, which she viewed as a refuge from the world and a source of agency and strength. She pursued every opportunity for fun, and surrounded herself with people who shared her passion for a good time. A powerful writer and self-proclaimed “talker”, Marcie eagerly shared her experiences with those around her.

Marcie worked for 30 years in retail sales, retiring from a career at Sears. She enjoyed working with the general public, and was uniquely capable of talking with anyone.

Marcie married her husband, Ashley, in 1960. They enjoyed 61 years of marriage before his passing in 2021. Together they raised two children, Vicki and Jeff, to whom Marcie imparted a strong sense of independence. Marcie introduced her children to libraries, the de Young museum, and other interesting places throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. As a mother she shared her love of nature and created opportunities for her children to explore the world.

A child of the 1940s, Marcie lived through an enormous cultural shift for women. She connected strongly with artists and writers who explored themes of female independence, including Frida Kahlo, Bettina Aptheker, and Adrienne Rich. Marcie saw herself as a champion of underdogs and lost causes, and regularly gave money to people in need.

Marcie spent her entire adult life in California, living at times in Cupertino, Fremont, Hayward, Ripon, and San Diego. She retired in Paso Robles, where she and Ashley built community through their involvement in the American Legion and the Elks. Marcie was an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Marcie is preceded in death by her husband, Ashley White, her parents, Helen and Leonard Bess, and her grandchildren, Hannah Shively and Joshua White. She is survived by her children, Vicki Shively (husband Bill Shively) and Jeffry White (wife Joan White), her siblings, Pam Aytar and Rick Bess (wife Susan Bess), her grandchildren, Asa Shively (wife Joelle Shively), John Shively, Winona White, Zachary White (wife Gina Pacheco-White), and Noah White, and her great-grandchildren, Gabriel, Theodore, Audrey, and Scarlett, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Marcie’s ashes will be interred alongside her husband’s at Paso Robles District Cemetery. A celebration of life will be held in her honor, with more details to be shared in 2026. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to NCI Affiliates in Paso Robles.