Marion Cardoza

Marion Ella Cardoza went peacefully on her journey November 29, 2013 in Pueblo, Colorado. She was born August 15, 1916 in Rotterdam, New York. She was raised in a rich mixture of Thomson family farms and a few towns in upstate New York, with memories that lasted a lifetime. She, her parents, brother and sister moved to southern California in 1935 for a fresh start, and a whole new set of experiences. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Emily (Thomson) Kemner; sister Gladys (Kemner) Van Vliet; brother Don Kemner; nephews Phil Van Vliet and Paul Kemner; step-daughter-in-law Judy Cardoza; husbands Glen Douglas and Antone Cardoza; all of her first cousins and most of her old friends. Marion is survived by her sons Larry Douglas of Portola, California and Steve Douglas (partner Pam Kubly) of Beulah, Colorado; step-son Steve Cardoza of Modesto, California; “adopted daughter”/friend Judy Pepper of Chico, California; nephew Gary Lewis (wife Jeannette and their blended family) of California City, California; nieces Sylvia (Kemner) Reed of Blanding, Utah and Donna (Kemner) Massey and her family (husband Winston, children Bart, Stefanie and Chris – and their children) of Flagstaff and Phoenix, Arizona; grandchildren Jason Douglas of Eureka, California, Amy (Douglas) Dipman (husband Scott and their children Alex, Nathan and Gloria) of Santa Rosa, California and Elizabeth (Douglas) Delima (husband Anthony) of Cotati, California; step-grandchildren Tony Cardoza of Modesto, California and Nichole (Cardoza) Kasprzyk (husband Markus and their children Cameron and Parker Ryan) of Turlock, California; and old friends Bob & Ermalee, Sue & Cookie, Henry, Betty, Vivian, Gloria, Bill, Pat and others we’ve surely missed. Caregiver and friend Anita Smith of Pueblo, Colorado made her life easier, as Marion strove to live out her time in her own home. That wasn’t possible the last couple of months. Marion’s family is grateful for the fine care given her then by staff of the Life Care Center of Pueblo and the Sangre de Cristo Hospice and Palliative Care of Pueblo. Marion loved life and nature. She loved to swim and dance. She loved raising her boys and her work-life in business, where she started as a clerk and retired as an assistant vice-president and personnel officer for the Sonoma Mortgage Corporation Branch of the Wells Fargo Bank. Her love of nature, children and teddy bears was reflected in her china painting. She loved interacting with others. She stayed informed of current events and voted faithfully for candidates and issues she believed in. She looked forward to things ranging from changes in the seasons to other people’s birthdays (when she would call them and sing “Happy Birthday” in a voice that was long on feeling and short on pitch). Her faith and spirit remained strong, even as her body grew frail. For decades Marion refused to tell anyone her age, stating that “age is a number and mine is unlisted”. This was not because of vanity, but rather because she objected to the way people were often “pigeon-holed” based on their age instead of being valued for their capabilities. She was not perfect, but she was what she was ... pretty special in most ways. Marion was part of a family that moved a lot for a variety of reasons. That put many miles between her and most of her family and old friends. She stayed in touch via cards and telephone calls, and greatly appreciated visits, calls and cards from those who stayed close, in spite of miles and time apart ... still keeping a special place in her thoughts and heart for the rest. To all she would say “enjoy your life” ... find meaning in how you live that life ... for yourselves and for others. At her request, there will be no service. Online condolences at DavisMortuary.com.