Marcia Ann Pehrsson

Marcia (Mankowski) Pehrsson passed peacefully in her sleep on January 9, 2025. Born July 19, 1934, her 90 years included childhood and young adulthood in Minnesota, marriage to Wallace Pehrsson in 1957, and raising three daughters (Stav Davis, Jean Pehrsson, and Sara Pehrsson) in San Diego since 1964. After her children were grown, she spent many years helping patrons at the San Diego Public Library and as an archivist at the Point Loma Nazarene University library.

Marcia began life as the daughter of English teacher and football coach Peter Mankowski and homemaker Melvina (Ruprecht) Mankowski. She was the older sister to David Mankowski. She attended Edison High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota and earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota. Prior to her marriage, she taught high school French and Art classes.

As a young woman, there was no shortage of young men eager to enjoy Marcia’s mischievous wit and the charm of her petite figure and pretty face. Ultimately, she chose as her life partner a man who shared her sense of humor, intelligence, integrity, and loyalty to family. Wallace Pehrsson preceded Marcia in death in 2015, after 57 years of marriage. She expressed the belief that they would be reunited in the afterlife, and we find comfort in the thought that they are now together again.

From her father she learned the joys of books and of football. She was a constant reader, and she in turn instilled a love of reading in all her daughters. Most of her days ended by reading a novel in bed before sleep. Her favorite genres involved intrigue and mystery, spiced with a judicious amount of violence, gore, and foul language. How this affected her sleep we can only imagine.

Although she never played in a football game, she was a devoted spectator. College games were her favorite, and she also followed the professional games, with the Chargers of course being “her” team. At one point Wally gifted her a yellow referee flag, so that she could throw it across the living room when she spotted a penalty on the field.

Marcia was proud to be a homeowner, and though their home was modest in size, she decorated with an eye for color and classic taste that made it a welcoming space for family and friends. Her small yard was a testament to her ability to cultivate a beautiful landscape that was also a restful retreat for her.

Cats were always a big part of the family in Marcia’s household. From the first kitten Stav “found” in the backyard (Marcia always seemed suspicious of this story) whom she dubbed Catherine the Great and who ended up being called Big Kitty, through the years to her final kitty, Abby, who was by her side at the end, there was never a time without at least one cat to love and care for.

She faced the challenging task of parenting with a strong mother instinct and an ability to combine limitless love with firm decisions when that was in her daughters’ best interests. She gave them many reasons for gratitude over the years. Stav, her first-born, remembers the regular trips to the library as a child, and the encouragement to read voraciously that created both personal enjoyment and academic advantages. For Jean, her second daughter, fond memories center especially around the family gathering around holiday meals and baking traditional Christmas cookies every year. She also remembers visits to local fabric stores to select fabrics and sewing patterns so Jean could enjoy wearing the cute dresses Marcia made for her.

For her youngest daughter Sara, who became horse-crazy at an early age in spite of never having met an actual horse, she accepted the dangers and expense of allowing Sara to throw herself into the horse world. The adventure was a complete unknown for Marcia, but her brave decision gave Sara her identity and a purpose to life.

Throughout her long life, Marcia faced challenges with courage, grace, and determination. Her sense of humor was always evident through good times and bad, as was her generous nature and loving heart. She has truly been a gift to all who knew her.

A service is planned for Sunday, February 23rd at 2 p.m. at the Self-Realization Fellowship temple located at 3072 1st Avenue in San Diego.

Donations to the charitable organizations Friends of Cats and the San Diego Humane Society would be appreciated as a way to honor Marcia’s life.