Marzelle "Babe" Colbert

July 27, 1935 - November 1, 2019

The Lord answered our family’s prayers by allowing Joy and Gay to be by Marzelle’s side, holding her hands as she stepped into her heavenly home on November 1, 2019 at 8:16 a.m..

Marzelle was born at the family home in Holly Springs, Arkansas, weighing in at 10 pounds! She was the second child born to Thomas and Dora Carr. The family eventually moved to Cypress Creek, where she grew up. She always spoke of what a wonderful family life she had. Marzelle, “Babe,” graduated from Watson High School in 1954. As the story goes, Bob first saw Marzelle at a church event wearing a white blouse, red skirt and white sandals. He asked his best friend Gene if he knew who that pretty gal was across the room. Gene told him that was his sister! Bob was smitten and wanted to marry her then! Marzelle was only 15 and told him that she wanted to at least finish high school first. Bob was moving to San Diego, but went back yearly. In an effort to keep her mind on him, he wrote Marzelle many letters. She graduated from high school and, along with her friend Audie, was planning to move to Texas and attend college. However, plans quickly changed when Bob showed up at Marzelle’s house on Sunday morning, June 13, 1954, and by June 14th at 1:00 a.m., Bob had her talked into marrying him! Well, the joke in the family is that she never really did say, “Yes.” Instead she just said, “Mmmhmm.” Bob, at the insistence of Marzelle’s mom, stayed the night but he never went to sleep because he was afraid Marzelle would change her mind. When she woke up at 7 a.m., Bob was already asking her dad if he could marry her! Bob, not wanting to wait, and Marzelle, not wanting to have blood drawn for a marriage license, were married in Greenville, Mississippi by 11:00 that morning.

They began their married life in San Diego, CA as Bob was already living and working there. They lived with Bob’s family for a couple of months until a friend of theirs found them a small, 3rd floor studio apartment in downtown San Diego. They both agreed that’s where they really got to know one another, since they had really never spent much time together. They often laughed about the time Bob came home from work one morning to find her hanging outside that 3rd floor apartment, washing the windows on the outside! On Bob’s nights off they played Monopoly, shared an RC Cola and a bowl of popcorn. Their life was simple and wonderful.

With the birth of Joy in November of 1955, Marzelle stayed home and cared for their home and little family. She managed their home and income so well that their home with three mortgages was paid off in seven years! It was at that time Marzelle told Bob it was time to start attending church again so they began attending East San Diego Assembly of God, where they attended until their move to Fresno in 1972.

She was a foster mom to many children and in the spring of 1963, they made plans to adopt the last little one they fostered. Those plans were extinguished by San Diego County Child Adoption and Welfare because of racial differences; Rogie was Filipino and Hawaiian and did not look like Joy. It was a rare occurrence that foster parents ever saw the adoptive parents. However, Marzelle and Bob were allowed to peek through the blinds as the caseworker saw how much they loved Rogie. Shortly after Roggie left our family, Marzelle found out she was pregnant and we were all thrilled! Our little family of three would soon be complete. Gay was born Dec 5, 1963.

In the years following Gay’s birth, Marzelle played on a morning bowling team, which she loved, was an assistant in Blue Birds with Joy, helped in Gay’s preschool and was actively involved with the Carver Elementary School PTA. One of Marzelle’s favorite pastimes was working in her cactus gardens and collecting more cactus and rocks on their travels, something you can’t do now. She loved working around the house and yard while singing and humming her favorite songs. She loved Doublemint gum and only chewed a quarter of a stick at a time. Her second favorite gum was Juicy Fruit because it had been her dad’s favorite. She was also the perfect helpmate for Bob. Whatever he did, she was always by his side. Her natural skills as a caregiver were called upon many times during their 64 years of marriage and she always did it selflessly and with joy. Together they also hosted many Sunday School bbq’s and other church events.

When Challenge Dairy closed their plant in Mission Valley, and it looked like Bob may lose his job, Marzelle began working as a housekeeper at Kaiser Hospital. Eventually she attended school to become a nurse’s aide, a job she thoroughly enjoyed.

After moving to Fresno, Marzelle attended FCC and became an LVN. She applied for a job as an LVN and accepted a day position on oncology at Fresno Community Hospital, where she worked for 19 ½ years. As an oncology nurse, Marzelle had found her calling. She was a nurse who not only cared for patients while on duty, but also off duty. It was not uncommon for her to bring home patient’s dirty laundry to wash. Phone calls to check in on patients on her days off were a norm for her and her patients loved her for her kind and caring ways.

The most important decision she made in her life was accepting Jesus Christ as her personal Savior in December of 1982. They attended Evangelical Community Church and then Peoples Church until, because of Bob’s health issues, they were no longer able to attend. It was during these times that they enjoyed local church services on television and listening to gospel music.

Marzelle also worked side by side with Bob restoring old homes and keeping some for added income. They were flipping houses before it was a ‘thing.’ They cut many cords of wood together, delivered meals to those homebound or in need, and helped many tenants with food and money. They truly knew the meaning of serving others. It was their gift together. They were a true team.

After Bob’s heart surgery and stroke in 2006, Marzelle put all she had into helping Bob get his health back to normal so they could continue doing the things they loved. One of their favorite annual things to do was to travel Route 66 to Arkansas to see family and friends. Their last trip to Arkansas in 2012 was to attend the Watson Fish Fry. Joy and Gay happily joined them and were able to meet so many of their friends. Trips to San Diego were also something that Bob and Marzelle enjoyed. They were able to visit family and friends they had left behind after the move to Fresno.

On August 1, 2011, Marzelle sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury that immediately changed their lives. Just as Marzelle had helped Bob through his illnesses, Bob paid back that debt by helping his Babe, until his passing last year.

Babe had her priorities straight. She loved the Lord, Bob and her daughters and sons in law with all her heart. With the exception of Bob, Joy, Gay, Dennis and Robert, the loves of her life were her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Each of them had a special place in her heart. As “Babe,” she had a special place in their hearts as well. She supported them wholeheartedly in everything they were involved in. Jeremy, Jason, Robert, Ryan, Raylene, McKenzie, Logan, Christian, Olivia and Emily have each been blessed by their Babe in so many ways.

Marzelle was not one you would find on center stage, as she left that for Bob, but she was always supportive in whatever Bob and her girls and their families did. She and Bob cared for their grandkids while their parents worked or attended school. They took an untold number of trips to school to drop off the grandkids, forgotten backpacks, projects, lunches, etc and pick them up from school.

Her parents, Thomas and Dora Carr, her brothers Gene and Tommy Carr, and her sisters Lois Grady, Mary Brady and Shelia Dean preceded her in death.

Continuing her legacy are her beloved daughters Joy Kinzel (Dennis) and Gay McVicar (Robert). Grandchildren Jeremy Kinzel (Misty), Jason Kinzel (Kristina), Robert McVicar (Kandace), Ryan McVicar and Raylene McVicar, great grandchildren McKenzie, Logan, Christian, Olivia and Emily, and her granddog, Rayley. She is also survived by sister and brother-in-laws Ruby (John) Stratton and Linda Perkins, Irma Carr, Sam Brady, Charlie Dean, Lenn Harvey and many nieces and nephews.

A special thank you first to our families for all of your support the past eight years. You all went above and beyond in your support of us while we cared for Mom and Dad. We are also thankful to Mom and Dad’s neighbor and friend Bruce and to our family friends Karen and Leroy Cook, who spent countless hours supporting our parents and us over the past few years. Lastly, we want to thank the many wonderful caregivers and volunteers who helped us with our Mom during this past year. Thank you Komal, Zoua, Yolanda, Tracy, Olga, Pastor Steve, Lora and Wendy. Dad would have been so very grateful.

No words will ever fully describe what a wonderful woman our Mom was; she was beautiful inside and out. With a beautiful heart and soul she showered us with unconditional love and kindness. Mom lived a full and wonderful life and her family will forever miss her.

Marzelle lived a full and wonderful life and her family will forever miss her.

Serving as pallbearers are Dennis Kinzel, Robert McVicar, Sr., Jeremy Kinzel, Robert McVicar, Jr., Ryan McVicar, Raylene McVicar and Jason Kinzel.

A Memorial Service will be held in her honor on Saturday, November 23 at 11:30 a.m. at Clovis Evangelical Free Church in Clovis.

Donations can be made to Nancy Hinds Hospice, Marjorie Mason Center or Fresno Rescue Mission.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.boicefuneralhome.com for the Colbert family.