Obituary
Obituaries
Published: September 14, 2012
Marjorie Geisler Hudson
Marjorie was born in Los Angeles on May 6, 1915. She spent the majority of her life in Santa Paula, raised on the Geisler family ranch, founded in 1890, west of Santa Paula, and attended Briggs Elementary School.
Marjorie helped out with the day-to-day work on the ranch. She quickly developed a passion for playing the piano while taking lessons from Mr. Richard Wagner. He was tough, but taught her well! She went on to graduate from Santa Paula High School, a Gold Seal graduate. She then went on to attend UCLA and graduated in 1934 in which time her graduation ceremony was held in the Hollywood Bowl, due to a lack of a stadium at the then new UCLA campus.
After graduating from UCLA, Marjorie started her career as a teacher at Isbell Elementary School in Santa Paula. Her children always found it interesting when they were out and about with their mother how people would come up and talk to Marjorie at the local stores. They would ask who that was and many times it was a previous student, Wayne Allee being one of them!
Marjorie married her high school sweetheart, Al Hudson, in 1941. Al entered the U.S. Army in 1942 and was sent to Hawaii for basic training, where he spent the entire war in the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC). In 1945, Al arranged a teaching position for Marjorie at Ionani School for Boys in Honolulu. This was the start of their love affair for the Hawaiian Islands. Many friendships were formed and have lasted throughout the years.
When the war ended, Marjorie and Al moved back to Santa Paula to raise their family. Son Dwight was born in 1947 and daughter Marilyn in 1950.
For many years, Marjorie continued to study music and play the piano. At one point she saved up enough money to fulfill one of her dreams and purchased a Grand Steinway Piano.
Another one of Marjorie’s loves was gardening. She sure had a green thumb! The house was always surrounded by beautiful flowers and plants.
The family spent many weeks during the summer camping in Yosemite Valley and also on the eastern side of the Sierras fishing at Rock Creek Lake at 9,700 ft. elevation. The washbasin water would usually freeze every night and Marjorie was a real trooper! Like all good mothers, she knew how to take care of a problem; when the wind would blow dirt into the milk before dinner, she would just add chocolate to it and no one knew the difference.
Marjorie was always interested in politics and campaigning for her favorite candidates and always kept up with world events, reading the newspaper daily. Many came to her for voting advice as they respected her political views.
Her peak in politics and one of the highlights of Marjorie’s career came in 1972 when she was chosen for the Ventura County Grand Jury for a year. It was then that Marjorie was able to view firsthand the processes of local government.
Marjorie and Al volunteered for many organizations while they lived in Santa Paula, among these were the American Heart Association and Assistance League.
Marjorie was an active member of the Ebell Club in Santa Paula and was responsible for the Ebell Club being placed on the list of National Historical Buildings. This was close to her heart as Al’s father had originally built the Ebell Club in 1917.
In 1999, the Hudsons decided it was time to move to Irvine, CA, to be closer to Dwight and Marilyn. They traded their large home and lot for a smaller condo. The good news, the condo was on a greenbelt and their “backyard” increased tenfold!
They continued their yearly trips to Yosemite and Hawaii and Marjorie made her last trip to Hawaii in 2011! Even in a wheelchair, she was able to enjoy the great beauty of the world.
Marjorie was a breast cancer survivor in the 1950s at which time was only treated by radiation in which she received radical burns. The cancer came back twice ad she beat it every time! Her experience with cancer led her to be empathetic and she loved to help others confronting this terrible disease.
Marjorie Geisler Hudson passed away in her home on Monday morning, September 10, 2012. Her faithful caregiver for the last four years, Susana Bravo, made her life so comfortable. The family could not have asked for a more caring person to be with her.
Marjorie is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Dwight and Carol Hudson; daughter, Marilyn Darracq; 99-year-old sister, Frances Towne; five nieces and one nephew.
Services will be held on Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. at Skillin Carroll Mortuary on Santa Paula Street. The family would love for anyone to share a memory about Marjorie and/or Al.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society.
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