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Barbara Marino Obituary
November 1, 1943 – June 12, 2021
We lost our sister, Barbara Alice Marino, to complications from dementia on June 12, 2021, in San Rafael. Knowing Barbara, we wouldn't be surprised if she decided that enough is enough and crossed over to the other side to be with our relatives who were saving her a place at the dinner table, with lasagna and Italian bread and gumbo beckoning, and the poker table set up and ready to go.
Barbara had a passion for life and was uniquely talented. She was a gifted artist who created stunning and mesmerizing paintings. She was a great storyteller, writer, cook and lover of cats. She had an irreverent and sassy sense of humor that charmed friends and colleagues. If Barbara was your guest for dinner, she would bring a creative and delicious dish to share, and while you were in the kitchen basting the chicken, she would be rearranging your furniture in the living room.
After graduating from Arizona State University and moving to the Bay Area with friends, Barbara taught art education at Nueva School and to this day, several former students have spoken of how she taught them to look at people and events with a different perspective and expressed how thankful they were to have had her as a teacher. She was beloved by students and staff.
Barbara's many talents were put to excellent use coordinating fundraising events for a variety of public figures, including Barbara Boxer and Delaine Eastin, as well as overseeing community relations at Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Company.
Barbara loved her friends and family, especially her sisters and cousins. The cousins have been very close from an early age and spent many summer vacations and holidays together, with copious amounts of good food and laughs, where Barbara was always the life of the party. She cherished her nieces and nephews and gave them fun experiences that their parents would not have thought of, or necessarily approved.
Barbara is survived by her sisters Susan and Nina Marino. At the end, we were fortunate to spend time with Barbara at her bedside after she had passed away, letting her know how much we loved her and recounting all the many adventures she had over her lifetime and how she had made an impact on the lives of so many family members and friends. We remember her with love now and know that she will rest in peace.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Barbara Marino
Molly March
July 10, 2025
Barbara Marino taught me that 3-dimensions can be portrayed in 1 dimension, via Painting - as an 8 year-old! ... What a gift. We will always love and remember!
Kitty Okamura
June 16, 2023
I am remembering a drive we took to Lake Tahoe.
She drove.
There was a charcuterie board on the console and the conversation went like this -
Well, dearie, what are you going to do about your marriage?
She was "something" and very often to the point of helpfulness! I think of her often.
Susan Gail (O´Hair) Shatsky
June 15, 2023
Remembering what a good writer she was. She once sent me a wonderful story about a childhood vacation place.
Penni Weaver Joch
August 6, 2022
I had no heard from Bea in years and was saddened to find her obituary. She was my roommate at the University of Arizona and we had so much fun and many memories. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
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Kitty Wong Tom McDermott Okamura
November 1, 2021
Barbara often made fun of how many times I had been married. We met in 1969 or so. We worked for Kiosk Corp. What crazy times. She "managed: a tiny store somewhere on San Francisco. Many years later she popped up in my life when associated with Mrs. Grossman's Paper Company. I am just now seeing this notice. Funny - I think of her every November 1st. Happy Birthday Babs!
Ellen Adams Cook- New Orleans, LA
August 23, 2021
To Susan & Nina. Such long ago memories-I was a childhood friend living on Oak Street around the corner from your Lowerline St home. I, along with my sisters Carolyn (Boo), and Linda (Tiny) have such wonderful memories of those days spent in your home. Dr Frank and Mrs. Margery were always so welcoming. Barbara and I were the same age and spent a lot of time together. She always liked to draw and showed her talent way back then. Your family had the first TV and we would come and watch Howdy Doody and several other shows. Those were the days when children could play without "fear" in their neighborhoods-and play we did. Your sister was the "instigator" of many things. She had a gleam in her eyes! Ms Alice was usually keeping an eye on us from her upstairs window. The Marinos moved to Phoenix and my family moved to a different neighborhood. We grew up and lost touch, but the memories of those carefree times are still with me. Being homebound during this "pandemic" I started searching online for Barbara, but sadly I was a few months too late. My sincere condolences to you and all who loved and will greatly miss her.
Ellen Adams Cook
New Orleans, LA
Mitch Archer
July 9, 2021
Babs was the best, plain and simple. She had a kind word for everyone she met, and her smile lit up the room. We were all lucky to have her in our lives. She will be missed by many.
Audrey Moy
June 28, 2021
N & S,
Sorry for your loss. B was a good friend of mine. N, spoke to you back in 2/2019. Please contact me.
Audrey
Donna
June 24, 2021
Barbara and I worked together in the early 90's. She was smart, authentic, funny, sassy and a wonderful cook. Talented artistically, she was also a gifted story teller. She shared many stories about teaching at Nueva, ride sharing between Oakland and SF, and her childhood.
During lunch at her favorite Vietnamese restaurant on Polk St, Barbara would offer advice to myself and our other co-worker "take risks, ask questions, be true to yourself". "Babs" (as we called her) was a wonderful friend and I am deeply saddened to hear of her passing. My sincere condolences to her family.
Martha S.March Ossentjuk
June 23, 2021
I am so grateful to have known Barbara and to have benefited from her wisdom, guidance, instruction, understanding and giving heart as one of her Art students at The Nueva School in the 1970´s.
I will always remember Barbara explaining to my parents during a student-parent-teacher conference that my artistic internal clock had its own unique tempo and did not keep pace with conventional clocks in the external world. She said offering me patience and allowing me to produce creative work at my own pace (or with as much flexibility as external constraints allowed) was the best approach because then my finished product was thoughtful and of high quality.
I was a rather shy and somewhat insecure child who strove to please those in authority and to "do everything right". Barbara´s expression of support and acceptance of my individual characteristics, especially as an adult in a position of authority whom I loved and greatly admired, provided a wonderful, lasting, deeply emotionally felt benefit to me in my personal growth, self-confidence and ability to accept and appreciate my intrinsic nature and unique traits. Barbara helped me to see that "my way" of productivity was not "the wrong way" just because it differed from the conventional, but rather it was "the right way" uniquely for me.
I think of Barbara´s beautiful face, kind words and spunky energy to reorient myself when I slip into negatively judging myself.
I will always be grateful for the good fortune of being her student. Barbara´s verve, spunk, sass and generous heart are fabulous gifts that will be greatly missed. I offer my sincere condolences to her sisters, family members and friends who enjoyed the pleasure of her company over her lifetime.
Olga Munding
June 23, 2021
To this day, I remember her saying "there are no mistakes in art". My first art teacher at Nueva ---made such an impression on me as a young child. Thank you and God speed.
Alexei Cogan
June 22, 2021
Barbara was my art teacher in Nueva Learning Center:
my very first school in the mid-70's.
Among other things, she amazed our class by teaching us to create stained-glass cookies. (No, we did not eat them: but they were very pretty!!!) :)
She was also kind enough to drive me and my older brother to/from school our first year there in '74 until my brother transferred schools and I switched over to riding the school bus with my classmates. (I still remember her Volvo).
I remained in Barbara's art class until I left the school three years later.
Barbara and I spent these last couple of years of her life in contact on Facebook...until she no longer could handle it.
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