Marlene Lovell passed away on Sept. 29. She was afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease for the last 10 years of her life.
Born in Colome on Aug. 17, 1938, she was the fourth child born to Charles and Leona Lovell.
Marlene had a remarkable life accomplishing many things. After graduating from Smithland,Iowa, high school, she worked for Mutual of Omaha for several years. She then moved to Denver and joined United Airlines as a stewardess.
Her roommate in stewardess school was Dottie Lamm who later became the wife of the governor of Colorado.
Marlene married John F. Benolken of Omaha, Neb. and they had a son, John. Marlene and her husband were divorced in 1965.
Marlene then moved back to Denver and attended the University of Colorado. She graduated with a B.S. degree in English education.
While attending CU, she worked in the remake of Stagecoach as a stand-in for Stephanie Powers.
She made friends with one of the stars, Bing Crosby because her former father in law had been his roommate at Gonzaga.
Marlene also worked as a John Robert Powers model while attending CU. She then attended Denver University and earned a master’s degree in library science. She worked for Cherry Creek schools for 20 years as a librarian and media specialist retiring in 1991.
In 1991, she moved to Green Valley. After a year, Marlene returned to teaching at the Tucson Unified School District. She taught at Sahuaro and Santa Rita high schools for five years. She retired again in 1998.
Marlene loved to travel. She took her father to England in 1981 where they discovered a long lost cousin Percy Lovell in Wedmore.
Marlene and her husband Cal traveled all over the world to more than 60 countries. Marlene’s favorite country, of course, was England, the home of her ancestors. Her great grandfather was born in Wedmore.
A member of the DAR, Marlene was also an avid genealogist and was registered with the National Genealogical Society. She wrote a book about her family in 2001. She had been compiling research for over 25 years.
She was active in the Green Valley Genealogical Society and was on the board of the Joyner-Green Valley Library. She was also a member of the Green Valley Country Club for more than 25 years.
She is survived by her husband, Cal Kemp and her son John F. Benolken II. She is also survived by her sister, Delores Kay Biggerstaff (Don) and their four children, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren. She is also survived by sister, Gae McDonald (Jim).
Her brothers Skip, Buzz and John preceded her in death. Skip also had Alzheimer’s.
She is also survived by a cousin Chuck McLinn (Doris).
Should you wish to honor Marlene’s memory, make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association, P. O. Box 96011, Washington, D.C. 20090-6011.
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