"Dear Larry, Cynthia and family, I am so so sorry to hear of your loss of sweet Marlene. The journey of grief is a hard one, and my thoughts and prayers are with you. I've heard it said, "if you loved much, you will grieve much". God Bless you all as you adjust to living without her in your days to come, cherish the memories and picture Marlene as smiling on you down from her new home in Heaven. I first met Marlene and Larry when I married Marlenes cousin, Russ. They brought their cute little girl (with beautiful long pigtails in her hair), to Evelyn and Charleys home, (my new inlaws). Larry was always so good to have his camera ready to capture family moments and I do have some pics that he took in my file. Marlene and I stayed in touch from WA state to Arizona over the years, we both shared our love for knitting and used to be sewing when we had that hobby. We both shared the love of homemaking, knitting, cooking etc. and we used to send recipes to each other at Christmas time with our Christmas cards. The last time that I was with Marlene, she, I and Karen Britt had lunch together in Soap Lake, WA. Marlene and Larry came to my home and we had a nice visit and we were going to connect later, but our schedules didn't work out again, but we still had plans to make that happen. I'm hoping to see you all when you have a memorial service for Marlene in Ephrata, her hometown. I will never forget her and my heart will be happy every time I think of Marlene. Hugs to you all !!!"
In loving memory of
Marlene Lucille Hansen
Marlene Lucille Hansen Campbell, former teacher and long time resident of Scottsdale, died unexpectedly Thursday January 18, 2018 in her home. Marlene was 79 when she passed.
Marlene is survived by her high school sweetheart, husband Larry, her daughter Cynthia Campbell Buriani, son in-law, Chris Buriani and her bright and beautiful granddaughters, Mia and Lauren.
Marlene was born in Wenatchee, Washington December 2, 1938. Her parents, Henry and Eunice Hansen, raised Marlene in Ephrata, a small town in Eastern Washington. Her mother, Eunice, was a long time grade school teacher and Henry was a local mechanic. When in high school, Marlene met her high school sweetheart, Larry. They went on to college together in the Seattle area at the University of Puget Sound. While at UPS, Marlene studied home economics and received her teaching certificate. Larry and Marlene lived in the Seattle area for some time before moving to Portland Oregon. There, Marlene continued to teach home economics at an inner city high school. Marlene and Larry raised their daughter, Cynthia, in Beaverton. Around this time, Marlene began to develop severe rheumatoid arthritis. Eventually, the disease became debilitating and they made the difficult decision to move to a warmer climate. Larry accepted a position at Wells Fargo Bank in Phoenix and the family moved to Scottsdale in the early 80's.
Although Marlene spent many of her days lying in bed due to her illness, she was an avid sewer and knitter. She created many beautiful sweaters, blankets and scarves. Marlene also loved the desert landscape and enjoyed traveling throughout the Southwest to visit ancient Native American ruins. She also enjoyed watching the local birds and wildlife.
In addition to her creative and nature related endeavors, Marlene was also an advocate of wildlife and environment protection. As of recent, Marlene was working hard with the National Rotenone Task Force. The Task Force is dedicated to ending the poisoning of lakes in Eastern Washington where she grew up. Their efforts continue today. In addition to her passionate work, Marlene's story regarding her exposure to nuclear toxic waste as a child, will be mentioned in a book that is soon to be published. Marlene was feisty all the way until the end. She will be deeply missed by all that know her.
A memorial service will be held this Saturday, January 27th at 11am at the Hansen Desert Hills Chapel on 6500 E. Bell Road in Scottsdale. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Marlene's life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Sierra Club: https://www.sierraclubfoundation.org
Tributes
"Beautifully written tribute.So sorry that I won't there to memorialize & celebrate her life with you on Saturday. It was gift to have spent time talking with her at Thanksgiving. I am grateful for that meaningful & enjoyable conversation. Sending my sympathy & hugs to you, your Dad & your wonderful family. Love & blessings to you all."
"Larry and family, I am so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful and loving picture! I always considered Marlene very courageous. She seemed so determined not to let RA stop her, and was so cheerful and caring of others despite all that she had to overcome. I know you have many memories to cherish. God bless."
"Larry and family. I am sooooo sorry that you will no longer have Marlene in your life but were so blessed to have had her for so long. My heart goes out to the whole family. I knew Marlene during our high school years - she, a year behind me - Larry, in my class as well as in my grade school years - I believe beginning in the 4th grade. God Bless you all."