Marion A. Scharffenberger

February 20, 1926 - March 13, 2019
Marion A. Scharffenberger, née Nelson, 93, passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Rolling Hills, CA. Marion was born in Paterson, NJ, to Edwin and Josephine Nelson. Her father served with the US Navy and during WWII Captain Nelson was promoted to Commander of the US Fleet in Puerto Rico. Marion was the younger sister of Edwin Nelson (deceased). A graduate of Paterson's East Side High School, Marion set aside her college ambitions to attend Katherine Gibbs and work as a secretary at ITT during the war. There, after the war, she met her future husband George Scharffenberger, a young accountant and Columbia University graduate who later was a SVP at Litton Industries and then CEO of City Investing Company. They were married in 1948 and their extraordinary partnership lasted 53 years, until George's death in 2001.
Marion is survived by six devoted children: Ann Scharffenberger Allen, George, John, Thomas and Dr. James Scharffenberger and Joan Scharffenberger Laarakkers. Her loving grandchildren include Emily and Charlie Allen, George and Mary Scharffenberger, Will and Sam Scharffenberger, Nelson and Joseph Scharffenberger and Jack and Billy Laarakkers and her step-granddaughter, Melissa Tighe. Marion was the heart and soul of her large extended family and her warmth and charm embraced a wide circle of friends.
She was the best mother and grandmother ever. A great cook, a wonderful hostess, a world traveler and a loyal supporter of the many philanthropic causes she held dear including the Peninsula Committee Children's Hospital, the Colleagues, the South Coast Botanic Garden, the Blue Ribbon of the Music Center, Little Company of Mary Hospital and the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. Her Rolling Hills garden was her life's work, a legacy to her creativity and vision. May her memory be a blessing and shining example to all who knew her.
A memorial Mass will be held at St. John Fisher Church, Rancho Palos Verdes, beginning at 1pm on Friday, April 12, followed by a Celebration of Life at the South Coast Botanic Garden. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Peninsula Committee Children Hospital or the South Coast Botanic Garden.