Marianne Dania

Henry and Ethel Hopkins. She was raised in Seaside, and attended Juan

Cabrillo Elementary School, Martin Luther King Jr. Junior High School, and

Seaside High School. Before graduating high school in 1978, she was a Junior

Varsity cheerleader, a Debutant in 1977, and published in Who’s Who Among

American High School Students in 1978 for her academic excellence. She was

active in student government, sports, and remained on the Honor Roll all four

years.

Marianne accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at a young age. Her

Christian walk began with her entire family at Friendship Missionary Baptist

Church, where her father served as a Head Deacon. She sang tenor in the choir

and fellowshipped with other youth choirs at local churches. She attended church

revivals throughout the close-knit Seaside community.

She regularly attended Bible Study and Vacation Bible School, served on the

usher board and taught Sunday School. She was faithful in her walk with Jesus-

Christ throughout her entire life and continued to be fed spiritually while under

Watch Care at a local church while attending college in Atlanta, Palma Ceia

Baptist Church in Hayward, California, and lastly as an active member of

Progressive Community Church in Stockton, California. She was active in those

churches’ Women's Ministry, Community Outreach and various other auxiliaries.

From young adulthood, Marianne was and remained a faithful tither.

Marianne received her Associates of Art degree from Monterey Peninsula

College, Magna Cum Laude. In 1981 she matriculated to Clark Atlanta

University, a HBCU, graduating in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business and a

minor in Finance. Impressively, Marianne financed her own education by working

full-time throughout college, while remaining on the Deans List. In college she

was a certified gemologist and saleswoman for Macy’s Fine Jewelry in Monterey,

CA and Atlanta, GA. Prior to graduation, Marianne was recruited by a Fortune

500 company at an Atlanta University Center Career Job Fair. The company

recognized her outstanding grades and work experience. Drawing upon her

finance skills, Marianne helped the company to grow to become the largest

revenue-generating store in the Southern Eastern region of Georgia. Marianne

remained in the restaurant management industry when she returned to

California.

Stepping into her purpose, Marianne shifted to managing state and federal

programs for students. She was hired by Superintendent Dr. Charlie Knight as

the Director of Food Services for the Ravenswood City School District in East

Palo Alto. She went on to work in the same capacity for Oakland and Stockton

Unified School Districts. Marianne’s last career change resulted in her working as

a Social Worker for Human Service Agency San Joaquin County, Child

Protective Services for the past three years. Prior to that she was a Social

Worker with San Joaquin County In Home Supportive Services. She was

passionate about the elderly and youth on her caseload and always went above

and beyond to make sure that their needs were met. Marianne was passionate

about making a difference in people's lives, so she treated everyone as if they

were her own child or relative. For many children she was their only advocate.

She appeared in court with them, visited them at their placements, arranged

health and personal care visits as well as ensured their access to many other

social service programs that prepared them to live independently, with family or

adult care facilities.

Marianne married in 1989 and from that union she welcomed her only child, a

son she named Tana Dania. Marianne was a loving mother who instilled into her

son academic excellence and her strong morals and values for love, respect,

compassion, truth and honestly. She worked hard to place him in the best

magnet and parochial Catholic schools during his middle and high school years.

She was also his football Coach when he played for the Navato Warriors in

elementary school. All of the players loved her and she enjoyed encouraging

and uplifting these young boys to always do their best in anything they

endeavored.

Marianne became the epitome of a proud grandma, or “Gamma” as her grandson

Royce fondly called her. Her love for him is chronicled in the images on her

screensavers and social media posts. She took pleasure in introducing him to

healthy food choices, buying educational materials, reading books and teaching

him to ride his bicycle and swim along with her grandchildren Brian and Tianah.

As a youth, Marianne was mentored by strong, black, college-educated role

models, including educators, military personnel, and businesswomen. Many of

her role models were members of the Monterey Peninsula Alumnae Chapter of

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Marianne was drawn to this organization and

became a member of the San Jose Alumnae Chapter in Fall 1992. She enjoyed

working on Social Action community events and fundraisers for the organization.

Marianne proudly wore her crimson and cream Greek paraphernalia, jewelry and

pins. Whether she was posing for a Delta photo, connecting triangles or holding

up her own, singing Delta hymns or reciting sacred rituals, Marianne was a Delta

through and through. She was affectionately given the name “Tear Drop”

because she cried whenever shared her personal journey to becoming a

member and her love for this wonderful sisterhood of over 500,000 members

around the globe.

To know Marianne is to know she loved writing calligraphy. She loved pairing a

stylish pair of eye glass frames with her meticulously-styled long, reddish locks

that she wore in a variety of curls and wave patterns. Marianne was known for

her quick wit, sense of humor, kindness, compassionate spirit and her infectious

laugh that often ended in happy tears. She was a proud Spartan and always took

pride in being from Seaside. She loved walks alongside the Pacific Ocean’s

sandy beaches, and a younger Marianne enjoyed swimming in the ocean. She

enjoyed the peace and tranquility that being alongside the ocean gave her. She

shared a spiritual connection and sense of infinite oneness with the ocean, one

of God’s greatest wonders of the world.

During this time of year, Marianne customarily celebrated Kwanza. It was

important to Marianne that her son had a cultural awareness beyond what was

taught in his classrooms. At ten years old, Tana recited Martin Luther Kings, “I

Have a Dream” speech to friends and family on Imani, the last day of Kwanza. It

became customary for friends and family to delight in Marianne’s infamous apple

crisp on Imani.

This loving mother to Tana and grandmother to three passed away at the age of

60 in Stockton, California on December 19, 2020. She also leaves behind her

beautiful, faithful, and gentle companion “Sug” whom she loved so much and

affectingly referred to her as her “Baby.” Those whom paths she crossed and

lives she touched during her Christian walk on this earth will remember her

forever. Marianne was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Ethel

Hopkins, siblings, Judi Jones, Michael Stone, Joseph Hopkins, Jacqueline

Nichols, and Ronald Hopkins. She is survived by her only child, Tana Dania,

grandchildren, Royce Dania, Brian Spivey, and Tianah Samuels; siblings Henry

Hopkins III, Johnnie Ray, Chloe Gooden, Anthony Hopkins, Edith Hopkins and

David Hopkins; a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews

and great-grandnephews; God Son Adrian Lyons; and Best Friend For Life,

Patrice Glover.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, January 04, 2021 at Bayside

Community Mortuary at 1610 Noche Buena Street in Seaside, CA at 11 o'clock

a.m. Flowers may be sent to Bayside Community Mortuary.

Gifts and expressions of love or support may be sent to her son at:

P.O. Box 221431, Carmel, CA 93922.