Marlene Morris

Marlene Morris of Los Angeles passed away of natural causes in the early hours of Sunday, January 26th at Cedars-Sinai, weeks shy of her 80th birthday. Marlene was born Marlene Goldsmith in Sioux City, Iowa to Leon and Edith Goldsmith. The Goldsmiths moved to Los Angeles when Marlene was six years old, and settled in North Hollywood, where Marlene attended North Hollywood High School. Following Marlene's graduation from University of Colorado at Boulder, she embarked on a yearlong trip around the world, leading to her first career as a travel agent and a lifelong passion for travel.Marlene experienced the best of residential life as an Angeleno, always being the first to every restaurant, event, and the life of every party. Her entrepreneurial spirit and love of the culinary arts inspired her second coming as a successful restaurateur. Marlene's initial foray into the restaurant world was her involvement in the opening of the first Gladstone's on Entrada, and she later helmed The Lobster Pot on PCH, Panama Reds in Brentwood, Cabo Cabo Cabo in Century City and Good Eats in Pacific Palisades.Marlene was devoted to her large extended family of aunts and uncles and cousins, but especially to her daughter Melanie and son Darren. She is survived by brother Douglas Goldsmith, daughter Melanie Morris Speiser, son-in-law Robert Speiser and grandsons Sammy, Maximo and Charlie Speiser.