Marilyn Larkin

1932 - 2021

Marilyn Powell Larkin

Marilyn Larkin (Kugelgen) died peacefully in her sleep on January 9, 2021 at the age of 88.

Marilyn was born on November 18, 1932 in San Francisco, California, the only child of Robert Churchill Powell and Edith Hopps Powell. She was raised in Berkeley, CA and attended Holy Names High School in Oakland. Her father was a coffee importer and traveled widely through Central and South America; the family spent a year living in San Salvador before the war.

Marilyn was a gifted ballerina and trained at the San Francisco Ballet school. She danced in the company's first production of The Nutcracker in 1944. Marilyn went on to attend Dominican College and UC Berkeley. She married Donald Joseph Larkin of Menlo Park in 1953. They raised four daughters, living in Berkeley and later Piedmont, California. They divorced in 1972.

Intent on completing her college education, Marilyn returned to college at the age of 38. She attended Holy Names College in Oakland and obtained a B.A. in Art History in 1971 while juggling parenting responsibilities for four growing daughters. Although her formal education ended there, Marilyn was a lifelong learner with a powerful intellect. She read widely in philosophy, history, architecture, and religion. She loved art, poetry and literature. She always had something interesting to share about what she was reading and was a lively conversationalist. She enjoyed watercolor painting and design.

Marilyn also had a deep knowledge and love of classical music and opera. It was this passion that led her to meet the love of her life, Dr. Leland Kugelgen, of Piedmont, CA, in 1986. They married in 1999 in a joyous celebration attended by their children and grandchildren. Marilyn and Leland loved the mountains and enjoyed hiking in the Sierras and Yosemite, spending many happy summer days at the Angora Lakes resort and Tuolumne Meadows. They also spent time at Leland's home on Stinson Beach, which they lovingly rebuilt together after it was destroyed by a storm in the 80s.

After Leland's death in 2016, Marilyn spent many hours tending the garden in her Berkeley Hills home. The family looked forward to the annual bounty of exquisite and fragrant roses that she generously shared. In her last years, she found solace visiting with family, writing, reading poetry, and watching the sunset from her bay windows.

Marilyn was a great beauty known for her elegant style, warmth, and graceful charm. She was also very funny. She will be greatly missed by her friends and family.

Marilyn is survived by: her beloved daughters, Jennifer Passantino, Jocelyn Larkin, Roberta Hauser (husband, Mike), and Hillary Larkin; her six grandchildren Laura, Kathryn, Vince, Gabe, Neil, and Aidan; her step-grandchildren Heather, Emily, and Peter; and her great-grandson Jackson. She also leaves her cherished Kugelgen family: Owen and Mimi, Evan and Mallory, Bruce and Alicia, and their children.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in her memory to the San Francisco Ballet Association, DISC Program, 455 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 or through its online donation link. The family plans to hold a memorial for her when in-person events are again safe for all to attend.