Molly Jean Rorvik

1952 - 2024

Molly Jean Rorvik
02/10/1952 - 10/21/2024
"Jeannie" to those that loved her most, left us earthside on Monday, October 21st 2024. She leaves behind an incredible group of friends that are family, sisters Nancy, Alice and Marie Rorvik, Brother-in-law, Farnham Houge, cherished nephews, Victor and Wyatt Millar, son-in-law TJ 'Teej' Saunders and her best friend and daughter, Molly Hale. She was greeted in heaven by her parents, Berger and Margery Rorvik, on their wedding anniversary, as well as her beloved sister Addie Rorvik and love of her life, Eric Hale.
Born and raised in Mill Valley, CA, Jeannie was known for being the "son" of the five Rorvik sisters. She was proud to share her love of tools with her dad, a deep sea diver, who gifted her her first toolbox. Jeannie had endless admiration for the arts, learning from her talented mother, who was one of the first artists to craft using both bronze and wood carving together. With an artist for a mother, it's no wonder Jeannie went on to become one herself. From her poetic journaling, to discovering her trade of jewelry making, Jeannie excelled at creating beautiful things.
Growing up on Mount Tam, she idolized mother nature and could name all of the flora and fauna found in our community. She knew all the types of birds, and could identify them by their song. She loved animals, and was well known for her dog companions (Odin, Caper, Rosie, Caesar and Birdie). Jeannie attended Old Mill, Edna Maguire and Tam High school, she knew every foot and trail path in the town. She spent her college years at Sonoma State, where she and her friends all lived together on a farm her parents helped her buy. The stories from days on the farm could fill the entire newspaper, and it was there where Jeannie learned to love, party, dream and nurture.
While she might not have spent much time living outside of the Bay Area, traveling was one of Jeannie's biggest passions. After spending her 21st birthday in Syria and Egypt, Jeannie was inspired and enlightened by new cultures. She spent her youth visiting exotic places, sometimes telling people she was writing for a travel magazine. Jeannie made things happen for herself by just believing they could; she could dream of the sun and wake up looking sun-kissed. She made friends everywhere she went, was incredibly loyal and loved hard. She made babies laugh and rockstars swoon.We'll never truly know how many people were in love with her, but we assume the number to be in the double digits.
Jeannie was passionate about her community. She grew up on Throckmorton Avenue, was married at the Outdoor Art Club and raised her daughter in a cottage above town; Jeannie was proud to be part of a generational Mill Valley Family. She spent 30 years doing real estate in Marin County, and also volunteered in the history room at Mill Valley's library through the 2000s. She was incredibly proud of Mill Valley, and of the life she built there.
Jeannie was the ultimate matriarch - mothering through the deepest of tragedies and finding strength and light in the hardest of circumstances after losing Eric to cancer in 1994. She was tough and warm, smart and effortlessly funny, radiant as reflecting light and deep as the ocean. To know Jeannie was to love her and so many people (and animals) of all ages felt a gravitational pull towards her magnetic energy - she was magical. Her house was a safe haven where we all felt free to be ourselves. It seems so unfathomable that someone so vibrant, so vivacious, so resilient could no longer be living. Though her physical self is no longer here, her whole heart and soul lives on through all who were lucky to have loved and be loved by her.
A service will be held for Jeannie on Sunday, Feb 9th at 11am at the MV Golf Clubhouse. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Marin SPCA.