Madelyn T. Thalken

MADELYN T. THALKEN
(1923 - 2014)
Madelyn T. Thalken, a beloved Chaffey High School home economics teacher from 1972 to 1989, died peacefully at home in San Diego on October 29, following a brief illness. She was 91.
A longtime Ontario resident, Madelyn was born in Pittsburgh on February 26, 1923, to Rocchina (Donnoli) and Tito Tomassetti. She attended Mount Mercy College and earned a Master's in home economics at Penn State in 1947. She soon moved West, working in the Bay Area, then in Los Angeles as a home economist for Sunkist Growers. She married Francis "Buzz" Thalken in 1954, settling in Ontario where they raised five children.
Madelyn was a voracious reader (from books to the many letters written by her eldest brother, a Capuchin missionary in Papua New Guinea). She was also an avid traveler, dedicated volunteer and a cook who poured her heart and soul into memorable meals for family and friends. She will be remembered for her incredible homemade cannelloni, ravioli and Easter calzones. She was at heart a most loving wife, mother, sister, aunt and grandmother who will be missed beyond words.
Madelyn is survived by Buzz, her husband of 60 years, her children and their spouses—Theresa and Giancarlo Losi (of Rivergaro, Italy), Mary Thalken (LaVerne), Joanie and Riccardo Bonazza (Madison, WI), Joseph Thalken (New York City), and Clare and Chris Harrington (San Diego)—and seven grandchildren: Brian, Nigel, Patrick, Daniel, Gabriel, Jula and Billy.
A funeral mass will be held Thursday, November 20, at 10:00 a.m. at St. George Parish, 505 N. Palm Ave., Ontario, followed by a reception in the church hall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to the Capuchin Province of Mid-America, P.O. Box 11605, Denver, CO 80211.