Marsha Pasarow Schiff

Marsha Ellen Pasarow Schiff passed away on January 11, 2025, from complications of Alzheimer's disease.

Marsha was born in New York City on February 21, 1941. As a young girl, she moved with her family to Sacramento, where she lived until attending the University of California, Berkeley. After graduating, she moved to Los Angeles, where she raised her children and worked as a celebrated dance instructor and later as an esthetician.

Throughout her life, Marsha's greatest passion was dance. Jazz, tap, ballet - she did it all exquisitely. A highlight of her dance career was performing in the opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. At parties, she was always first on the dance floor. Up until her illness, she continued to take classes with her cherished dance friends and often took classes with her granddaughters, too (although they could barely keep up with her).

She and her beloved husband, Michael, loved to attend theater, dine out, travel the world, and spend time with their family together. She adored her life with Michael - there's no one else who could have gotten her to a Dodgers game. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her sister, Karen Carlson (Richard), children David Pasarow, Ted Pasarow (Susan), and Jennifer Pasarow, granddaughters Anabel Pasarow (Dan) and Emma Pasarow, stepchildren Scott Schiff (Tamara), Amy Schiff (Rod), Garrett Schiff (Jill), and Josh Berger (Lauren), stepgrandchildren Hannah Schiff, Maddie Schiff (Michael), Sara Schiff, Ruby Schiff, Gabriel Neibrief, Matsumi Berger, and Robert Berger, and many adored cousins and extended family members in New York and California. She loved her family deeply - nothing was more important to her.

Shasha/The Marsh, as her family called her, will be remembered for her gorgeous artwork, love of literature, crossword puzzle prowess, unbeatable banana bread, many letters to the editor, contagious smile, expert knitting skills, signature laugh, sharp sense of humor, strong values, resilient spirit, insatiable sweet tooth, and, of course, her beautiful grand jeté.

Marsha absolutely loved life and took nothing for granted. She will be dearly missed. Anytime we hear a tune from A Chorus Line, we'll think of her.