Marjorie H. Lilienthal
Marjorie Huguet Lilienthal, wife and mother who moved her family to the Alexander Valley in 1986, died in mid-December. She was 89.
Marge grew up in Martinez, spending summers at her grandparent’s hop ranch in Ukiah, unhurried days that involved family, a few chores, and playing outdoors. Or hiding away with a book, dreaming. Those memories, and a sense for charmed possibilities nurtured across hop-scented afternoons, shaped her life decisions always.
Marge graduated Cal in 1954, majoring in history, and earned her teaching credential from Stanford the following year. She lived briefly in Los Angeles then returned to San Francisco, sharing a Russian Hill apartment with a variety of sorority-sister roommates, dating Republicans despite her left-leaning politics because “They were handsome”; tea dancing at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, teaching high school English and history in Mill Valley. When her mother passed away in 1957, Marge saved her money and set off to explore Europe, turning a three-month trip into a year, learning to ski in Austria as a chalet girl and bumping over Alpine tracks in her Volkswagen Beetle, affectionately named Schroder. Undeterred by mountain goats.
Returning to San Francisco, Marge met her husband Phil on a blind date that became a Pan Am flight to Hawaii that same night. They bought a house in Atherton for its broad, leafy trees. Over the ensuing years, Marge laid their home’s brick walkways herself, made friends that became family, appeared in Sunset Magazine for her garden and in the San Francisco Chronicle when her gown caught fire at Opening Night of the Opera. Undeterred by flames.
As her kids moved to college, Marge’s eye turned back to the countryside further north and Phil and she moved to Healdsburg. They built a house with beds for their grandchildren, a new garden and a new community while never forgetting the old. She embraced fly fishing and golf, served on the board of the Healdsburg Hospital and tutored students at the Alexander Valley School. In 2010, Phil died and in 2019, Marge lost her house in the Kincaid Fire. Her response to finding herself house-less at age 86: “Honey, I’ve always loved change.” Undeterred by loss.
Marge lived a big and wonderful life. Her humor was quick, keen and appropriately irreverent. She was an eternal optimist. She read voraciously, adventured fearlessly and believed heartily in the healing properties of a lusty cocktail and good chat. And if all else failed, there was always tending her flowerpots, looking over the golden hills that she loved.
We miss you, Mom.
Marge is survived by her children, John Lilienthal, Maggie MacNab, Kate Lilienthal (Inkster), Victoria Lilienthal (Dreyer); step children Marjorie Ornelas and Judy Leask; brother Maury Huguet and seven grandchildren.
Memorial: Saturday, April 2, 11 a.m.; St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 Matheson Street, Healdsburg. Reception in the Parish Hall to follow. All are welcome.
Published by Press Democrat on Jan. 30, 2022.
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