Remembrance of Marlene - Phoebe Wise Aunt Marlene was one of my favorite people. Larry and I both always called her “Aunt” Marlene, and for us the title was a most affectionate honorific. In my case, the affection was mixed with a bit of awe; as the child of two only children, I had no biological aunts, uncles, or cousins. Was it really possible that I could acquire such a wonderful person as an “aunt-in-law”, just by entering the state of matrimony? When I joined the family, I immediately noticed that Marlene’s great sense of fun and her witty comments made her a stand-out at any gathering. She was also kind and thoughtful, as evidenced by her many cards and gifts over the years. At the baby shower that the family gave for my first child, it was surprising to me to see so many people assembled to celebrate the arrival of a new little Wise. No one in my acquaintance had ever made such a fuss over a baby. I have forgotten many of the gifts, but not Marlene’s. It was an adorable stuffed giraffe with a wind-up key that played Around the World in Eighty Days. Something about this charming toy brought tears to my eyes; it made me realize that I was about to enter a new phase of my life when I would be repeatedly winding up a music box to put a child asleep. I have the giraffe to this day. It was one of Meredith’s favorite crib toys, and now it is delighting her daughter Claire. When its music plays I can still see Marlene’s smile, encouraging me as I fought back tears, experiencing for the first time the unfamiliar and powerful emotions of motherhood. At the next baby shower, which welcomed my son, she bestowed another stuffed animal, a tiny blue dog. Her card said, “The best kind of pet—you won’t have to clean up the poop!”, and sure enough, Smelly Old Dog, as we called him, became Austin’s constant companion for years afterwards—a truly poop-less pet. Fortunately Marlene did not insist on poop-less pets in her own home. She and Alan allowed Larry and me to enjoy the company of Kujo on many visits there. He was a wonderful dachshund--our favorite breed, but one we were never privileged to own. One of the many things I admired about Marlene was her interest in art. She had her own studio at home, and I remember attending an exhibition of her paintings at a place up on Skyline Boulevard. No doubt living in Germany as a young woman deepened her interest. She told fascinating stories of her time there. In her typically generous fashion, she brought back many gifts for relatives, including a pair of lederhosen for her young nephew Larry and a beautiful oil painting for her sister Jacy. Unfortunately the lederhosen were bestowed on a most unappreciative subject; Larry was embarrassed to wear them and glad when he outgrew them. But the oil painting passed to him after Jacy died, and it hangs in a place of honor in our living room. In addition to her artistic interests, Marlene shared with Alan a love of good food and wine. We experienced many wonderful meals at their house, and when they could no longer drink alcohol due to health reasons, we were the fortunate recipients of a bottle of 1977 Cabernet from their cellar, one of the most marvelous wines I have ever tasted. Perhaps the thing I admired most about Marlene was a trait that she shared with her two sisters, Kay and Jacy. It was obvious that each sister differed from the other two in opinions and outlook, but they nonetheless remained close. They did not let those differences alienate them, evidenced by their frequent get-togethers for lunch, and the many events they attended together. They always had a friendly interest in each other’s families and delighted to hear of the accomplishments of their nieces and nephews. You could tell those three were rooting for each other! I was sad when we moved from the Bay Area and no longer got to see Marlene and Kay on a regular basis. Larry tried to visit them whenever he returned on business trips. After Marlene moved into BridgePoint Larry continued to visit, and after trading news and conversation with her, he would always return saying, “She’s still Aunt Marlene!”. God bless you, Marlene, and thanks for being such a wonderful aunt and aunt-in-law, and an all-round fun person who brought joy to so many lives!

I was lucky to know Marlene years ago when we played tennis with John and Joyce Crain and other couples. My last name was Bradley then and I always admired Marlene's candor and refreshing spirit. I also taught at the magnet school that Ravenswood became, and Marlene's daughters when there. A lovely and thoughtful woman.