Marilyn Joyce Stenvall

Marilyn Stenvall, born on March 18, 1936, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, passed away on July, -- 2026 at her retirement community in San Diego, California. She was a woman of remarkable determination, boundless curiosity, and a deep commitment to education and the young people she served.

Marilyn built a career in education that was nothing short of trailblazing. She began as an ESL reading specialist and English teacher, then served as an assistant vice principal before becoming the first woman principal in San Diego County at Eastlake High School. She later took on the role of Executive Director of the Year Round School Program before retiring. Throughout it all, she expected excellence from those around her, but she was a nurturer at heart, always willing to go the extra mile for students, particularly those who came from challenging environments.

At 40 years old, with no athletic history whatsoever, Marilyn decided to start running. She made it a quarter mile that first day, but she kept going out there. Before long, she was regularly running 10Ks and hosting post-race parties at her home in Coronado, where she lived for more than 20 years and always cherished the time spent there.

Marilyn was married to her husband, Ted Stenvall, for over 40 years before his passing. Together they traveled the world, and she continued those adventures later with friends from the Vi Retirement community in La Jolla. She had visited every corner of the globe, so much so that she always joked she wanted to go to North Korea because she had simply run out of new countries.

She is survived by her sons, Michael Stenvall and Charlie Stenvall, along with her grandchildren Tasha, Isabella, Alex, Chantella, Malena and great grandson Caspian. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ted.

There will be no formal service. The family will scatter her ashes in the ocean in Coronado, a place she loved so dearly. We will miss our mom, grandma, and great grandma very much.