Marian Stark was born 14 December 1931 in Los Angeles the only child of Roy Reuben Stark and Clara Irene Fowler. They made their home in Eagle Rock, CA initially on Los Colinas and then in the home her parents built on Hartwick. She was an only child and she lost her father when she was just nine years old, but she was never without family with her many aunts and uncles and cousins. After her father’s death, Marian and her mother often traveled to Michigan to visit his family and to Nebraska to visit her mother’s family.
Education was a defining factor in Marian’s life, instilled from the time she was born by her mother, who had to leave college to work and to support herself, but continued to travel to Nebraska during the summer to take courses until she finally graduated in 1950, when she was 53 years old. Marian attended Dahlia Heights Elementary School and Eagle Rock Junior and Senior High School where she developed many close relationships with friends she would keep her entire life. Following high school, she attended UCLA and belonged to the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
Marriage to her high school sweetheart, Richard Allen Potter on 19 April 1952 put Marian’s college education on hold. Son, Glen William was born in March of 1953, Cynthia Ruth in 1955, and Nancy Elin in 1960. She and Richard built their dream home with a dishwasher and swimming pool in La Crescenta in 1960. Marian took great pride in being the perfect mother and wife. She was an exceptional cook and loved to entertain throwing themed parties, introducing her guests to such novelties as chilled salad forks and butter balls. She was a flawless seamstress making clothes for the whole family, even matching mumus for the girls and Hawaiian shirts and jams for the boys. Marian and friends were always involved in various DIY projects from making mosaic coffee tables and ashtrays to lamps made out brightly colored plastic squares. She enjoyed golf and adored the beach. Marian is remembered by all for her sweet disposition and optimistic outlook on life – her glass was always half full.
Once Nancy started school, Marian resumed her education. She earned a BA in Home Economics with Honors from Cal State Los Angeles in 1970 and began her 25 year teaching career with the Los Angeles Unified School District. She earned her Masters in Home Economics from Cal State Long Beach in 1988.
After the kids left the house, Richard and Marian sold their home in La Crescenta and moved to Irvine. And following retirement, began to travel throughout the United States in their motor home and volunteered at various state and national parks. In the late 1990s, they moved further south to Encinitas where they lived until Richard’s health began to fail in 2005. When Richard was moved to an assisted living facility in Newport Beach, Marian sold the Encinitas and moved into her final home in Aliso Viejo. Marian lost Richard in June 2005.
Marian was active in Laguna Niguel Presbyterian Church where she was a member and served as a deacon.
Marian is survived by her three children: Glen Potter and wife Carolyn; Cynthia deBrauwere and husband Daniel; and Nancy Potter. She is also survived by four grandchildren: Vivian Elise deBrauwere, Davis Matthew deBrauwere, Remy Elizabeth deBrauwere, and Faris Morgan Potter.
Arrangements under the direction of Pacific View Memorial Park and Mortuary FD1176, Corona Del Mar, CA.
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