Marion Mitchell-Wilson

CA home she had enhanced for 25 years

and passed into the loving arms of her Lord

and Savior on the evening of August 16, 2015 after

a long battle with breast cancer. Her

gracious approach to friends and family, as well

as her contributions to historic preservation

and Inland Empire literature, are the foundation

of her legacy. Born in Roanoke, VA on

November 30, 1946, to Deinese and Marvin Mitchell,

she graduated from Northeastern University

and served as the first professional director of the Orchard

House in Concord, MA, historic home of Louisa May Alcott. Her

interest in historic preservation continued when she moved to

California in 1976 and joined the staff of the Office of Historic

Preservation, ultimately sewing as Acting State Historic

Preservation Officer. A Joint Resolution of the California Legislature cited

her contributions to the California Heritage Task Force in 1984.

She was an Adjunct Professor in the Program in Historic

Resources Management at UCR commuting from her home in

Sacramento. As a member of the OHP staff, she contributed to

the restoration of the Mission Inn.

In 1989 she began her quarter century residence in Riverside.

Sewing as a Historic Preservation Redevelopment Project Manager,

she drafted the city’s first Historic Preservation Element of

the General Plan and its first Certified Local Government Ordinance

for historic preservation. In 1997, she joined the staff of

the Riverside Public Library to found the Riverside Public Library

Foundation and serve as its loaned Executive Director. Two

years later she founded the Inlandia Institute, a literary center

and regional publishing house.

She was the Executive Director Emeritus and a board member

of the Inlandia Institute, Secretary of the Riverside Land Conservancy,

and tireless supporter of The Pink Ribbon Place, In 2010,

the Volunteer Center of Riverside recognized Marion's

achievements with a Non-Profit Excellence Award for Individuals.

An early graduate of Leadership Riverside and former President of

both Riverside East and Sunrise Rotary, she was Riverside East

Rotary Club's Rotarian of the Year in 2011-2012. The University of

Redlands Town & Gown named her a Woman of Distinction for

Volunteerism in the Arts in 2012, and in the same year she was

honored as a Riverside City Hero.

She had a talent for recognizing the pieces of the puzzle and

facilitating their going together to form the big picture. In her

spare time she enjoyed working in her garden and cooking

outstanding meals for family, friends, and organizations. Marion

was a mentor and supporter of many in the field of historic

preservation and a valued friend to all who knew her. She is survived

by her husband of 39 years, Chuck Wilson; daughter Ellen

Wilson and son-in-law Steven Whyte of Monterey, CA.

A memorial celebration of her life will be held Friday, August

28 at 6:00 p.m. at the California Citrus State Historic Park. In lieu

of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Marion

Mitchell-Wilson Endowment at the Inlandia Institute