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Marsha Lynn DeWitt

1952 - 2010

BORN

1952

DIED

2010

About

University of Illinois

Marsha DeWitt Obituary

Marsha Lynn DeWitt went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, on November 18, 2010 due to several complications as a result of cancer treatments.

She was born on May 28, 1952 in Champaign, Illinois. Marsha was raised in Illinois, where she completed her primary education and received her Bachelors degree at the University of Illinois. She moved to California in 1980, where she later attended Cal Lutheran University and received her Masters degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Organization. In 1986 she began working at Weyerhaeuser, in Santa Paula and Camarillo, where she was the Human Resources manager. While working there she met, and later married, her husband Bill.

In 2001 she went to work at a non-profit organization, Camp Fire USA. She started as a program director and advanced to the position of CEO. She enjoyed working at Camp Fire USA, which provided school age care programs for students before and after school.

Marsha touched the lives of many people. She was a loving person, who never complained. She was very sensitive, compassionate and well loved by all who knew her. She offered great guidance and direction, both personally and professionally, all while being a humble leader. She had three goals in life: to serve the Lord, have a husband and a child.

She attainted those goals, while loving and serving God, when she married her loving husband Bill, and experienced the birth of their beautiful daughter Sarah who was and is a gift from God. She was very proud of her daughter and her accomplishments, and loved giving her her full support in everything she did. Marsha loved spending time with her family. Special family times together were vacations in Arizona, Nevada and Lake Tahoe. She enjoyed watching family TV shows including: Amazing Race, Survivor, So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars. She also had several favorite activities, which included attending all of Sarah's sports and music events, singing and worshipping Jesus. She enjoyed playing puzzles and games, especially Suduko. Any game that was mind challenging, she was ready for it!

She would start her day at "Curves" where she made special connections with the other women there. She was very happy with her accomplishment at weight loss and she gained great confidence from the experience.

Marsha was preceded in death by her parents: John William Barker and Mary Alice Foster-Barker, and brother John Len Barker. She is survived by her loving husband of 22 years, Bill and her precious 16 year old daughter Sarah Whitney; sister, Barbara Jones (Tom); sister-in-law, Julie Barker; and nieces and nephew, Vanessa, Susan and Chris.

The family would like to give a special thanks to the Critical Care Unit at Kaiser Permanente in Fresno, California; dear friends Chris and Danielle Grimaldi, their daughters, Chiara and Gabriella; and the New Life Family, Pastors and Staff. To celebrate Marsha's life, there will be a memorial service at New Life Community Church, 1960 North "C" St, Oxnard, CA, on Saturday, December 4 at 4 p.m.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Ventura County Star from Nov. 27 to Nov. 30, 2010.

Memories and Condolences
for Marsha DeWitt

11 Entries

Lu Galvan

December 9, 2010

I had the pleasure of working with Marsha for many years at Camp Fire USA. Marsha was a caring and helpful person. She was a great boss as well as a great friend that was always there for me. No matter what was going on in her life. I'm going to miss her. My prayers are with Bill and Sarah.

December 2, 2010

I had the pleasure of working with Marsha for several years when I was with Camp Fire USA. She was a caring, gracious person and will be missed by all of us who knew her. My thoughts and prayers are with Bill and Sarah.

Jackie Baldewin

The Laminen Family

December 1, 2010

Having only known her through church and recently through her beautiful daughter Sarah, she was such an inspiration to me as I watched her with her family. Her love for the Lord was always evident. She had a soft and gentle spirit, never demanding, always giving. I am glad to be able to rejoice in her life she shared here and in the eternal life she is enjoying with her Lord and Savior. May the Lord bring comfort and peace to Sarah and Bill through the love of family and friends as they continue to live this life to the fullest with confidence of their future reunion. God bless you both.

Tyke Kumler

December 1, 2010

Bill, Sarah, Barbara &Tom, Julie, Susan, Chris, and Vanessa: We share in your sorrow but also joyously celebrate Marsha's life. May the many wonderful happy memories help ease the void you feel right now, but knowing she was welcomed in Heaven by the loving arms of her family is a great comfort. Tyke and Jane Kumler, Mesa, AZ

Michael Ortiz

December 1, 2010

To The Family of Marsha,

I'm deeply sad and very sorry for your loss. Marsha was always great to me and my family. At CampFire USA my girls loved her. Marsha was so good with the children and all the parents. When my wife was very ill, Marsha always asked about her and was very concerned. I could tell from the first time I met her that she was a special person. Marsha was always positive and caring. God Bless your family and our prayers will be with you.

chris fernandez

November 30, 2010

Dear Bill and Sarah- There are no words to describe your loss. I know what a wonderful, caring person Marsha was. You could just see the love and pride she had for her daughter and that being a mother to Sarah was her #1 priority. These things you can cherish forever in your hearts. Our Prayers and Love are with you, Chris, Jorge, Cierra, and Esteban Fernandez

JANNE ROBINSON

November 30, 2010

A LONG LOST COUSIN AM I...BUT REMEMBER MARSHA'S CUTE FACE WHEN SHE WAS UNDER 10...SWEET, SWEET CHILD WHO EVIDENTLY GREW UP TO BE A GREAT PERSON.
I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE A PICTURE OF HER. THE FAMILY HAS HAD TOO MUCH TRAGEDY FOR ONE LITTLE BUNCH TO ENDURE, BUT, SO MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS !!
JANNE FOSTER ROBINSON

November 30, 2010

Dear Bill, Sarah, Barbara, Tom, Julie, Susan, Chris, and Vanessa--
We love you so much! This is hard, we know for you. Marsha was not just a cousin in California and you are not just cousins--You are friends and great family. We still remember our sweet times together as family and Bruce will never forget how Marsha visited him after open-heart surgery.
Yes, life was always a smile when Marsha was in the room.
Thank you and her for sharing your lives with us!

Bruce and Kathy Barker

Adela Lambert

November 29, 2010

Bill,

I was completely shocked and saddened to hear of Marsha's passing. Ryan called me at work with the news and I sincerely thought he was mistaken. It seems like it was just last week that I saw her last at Back-to-School Night; she was looking so lovely. I will hold that last picture of her in my mind and remember her always, makes it very easy when we share the same birthday. My thoughts and prayers will include you and Sarah. I pray that God gives you both the strength during this painful time and that He helps heal your broken hearts. Marsha was such a wonderful mother to Sarah. I admired that she would get involved with Sarah's volleyball activities and attend all of her games while holding a regular job. Since I can remember going back to Ventura Missionary School days, Marsha has always been a very giving person with a good soul. One fond memory I have of her is her homemade volleyball scoreboard that she kept current for all of us parents, always helping out as she cheered for Sarah. I know she will be missed by many, but she leaves behind a little part of her in Sarah and that is the best way to keep her memory alive. On behalf Mehgan, Ryan, Greg and I, we offer our sincerest condolences on your loss of a wife and mother, also a beautiful human being.

sue peden

November 29, 2010

Thank you Marsha for the love you gave to our family! You will be missed.

Vicki Entrekin

November 28, 2010

My mom just called to tell me that she saw Marsha's obituary in the newspaper and, I must tell you, I'm so shaken to hear of Marsha's passing and my heartfelt thoughts go to her family.

I had the privilege of working for Marsha in two employment stints with Weyerhaeuser Company, both in the 1980s and again in the 1990s. Although we were very close in age, I looked up to her as a much wiser person than myself. She was a mentor and a teacher. I learned a lot from her.

At Weyerhaeuser, she was the Human Resources Manager and her job was to deal with the human element...workers who were ill, having performance problems, salary complaints, union issues...I could go on and on; her job responsibilities were extremely stressful and complex. Yet, through it all, you would find Marsha calm, compassionate and problem-solving (she had whole storyboards going on in her head at any one time!).

Marsha's gift was teaching people to be better, more productive...to achieve. She needed to be right there with you, looking at your face, helping. She wanted things on the job to be the very best they could be, for both employer and employee. She was very dedicated.

And she was kind. She had a good heart. Marsha was a lady. She presented herself very beautifully, with attention to her appearance. She spoke well, conducted herself with dignity and was professional. She wasn't arrogant, self-centered or jaded. Sometimes I felt like I could just see Marsha's brain working and thinking before she spoke, so that she never demeaned another person or devalued them. She was respectful. Marsha was the epitome of grace and goodwill.

I will never forget when I hired in the second time, her joy in telling me that, while I'd been away, she and her beloved Bill had an addition to their family in a beautiful, adored baby girl. Marsha's cup overflowed with joy in her family life.

When I left Weyerhaeuser behind me for the last time, I let a lot of things go but Marsha shouldn't have been one of them, because she was my friend, and I'm crying hard for her now but I know, as sure as I am about anything in this world, that whatever pain she suffered is gone, and although she can't be with her loved ones in the way she was, she is all around us still, soaring and singing with the angels because she is one of them now, just like she was here on Earth.

Sent with love and remembrance,

Vicki Glazener Entrekin

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