Marian K Breen

Marian K. Breen (January 14, 1931 – December 19, 2021), 90, Life Partner and Wife to Jack of 70 years, Mother of 8 children, Grandmother of 13 children, and heroine to so many, many more, died peacefully at her home surrounded by her family. Marian lived a full and complete life and hers was truly a life well-lived.

Marian was born in 1931 in Chicago and raised as the oldest child and only girl of the four children of Jim and Florence Killian. She went to St. Joseph Parish School and Mallinckrodt High School in Wilmette. Marian left home and attended Marquette University, where she graduated with a Nursing Degree and R.N. in 1952. It was there she met her love and soul mate Jack, a goofy, gangly, smart engineer in the Navy ROTC and whom, as they say, definitely married way above his pay grade with Marian.

Marian worked at St. Joseph Hospital in Milwaukee while Jack finished his senior year at Marquette and then they married in 1953. They honeymooned by road tripping in a Studebaker Starlight Coupe across the U.S. to Jack’s Navy base in Oxnard California where Marian would work as an R.N. at nearby St. Mary’s Hospital. And so began a marriage for the ages. In marriage and life, Marian and Jack were equals and stood shoulder to shoulder. Their marriage was a true partnership, with both equally contributing and sharing in the work, responsibility, success, tears and joy of building a wildly beautiful life and family together.

After California, they moved to Foley, Alabama in December 1953, where Jack was stationed next. Here, Marian and Jack had the first two of their 8 children, developed lifelong friends and their love for Gulf Shores, a site of many return trips and much happiness with their family for years.

In 1956, Marian and Jack moved to Columbia, Missouri where Jack obtained his Masters in Civil Engineering and Marian had children 3 and 4 and expertly ran things at home with little money but a lot of love and survival techniques.

In 1959, they moved to Austin, Texas, where Jack got his Ph.D. and then taught at UT and Marian had children five, six, seven and eight. Marian loved living in Austin, originally living in small rental homes and then moving in 1963 to their current home, the first home ever built in the Westover Hills subdivision. In Austin, Marian set and grew her roots and delivered a tour de force performance as a mother, wife, friend and volunteer. She was a rock and a rock star. While raising the huge family, Marian somehow also found time to make a difference volunteering for and leading many causes. Marian served at the Volunteer Health Clinic as a Nurse one night a week for over 40 years; served as the backbone and continuous Treasurer of the St. Paul Family Guild; served as President of the St. Austin’s School PTA; served as President and Treasurer of the Austin Aquatics Club; and served as perpetual crew member for Jack’s Thistle sailboat racing, for which there was little pay and fewer victories, but many great times on beautiful Lake Travis, one of her favorite places.

Marian was a person of deep Faith in God and lived her life by the fundamental tenets: Love God; Love your neighbor as yourself; Forgive others who have wronged you; Love your enemies. She was Catholic and a longtime member of St. Austin Catholic Church and all the children attended school there. In her church life and social life, Marian was progressive, highly intelligent, open-minded and independent. If she thought something was wrong or needed to be changed, she said so and acted on it. She questioned, probed, and was never, ever silent about voicing her opinion. Life was not always kind to her, especially as she suffered the loss of two children, but the courage and grace she showed in those times was a testament to her faith and fortitude. Although small in stature, her intellect, goodness and spirit were giant beyond compare.

Marian was an incredible athlete and kept herself in great physical condition. She quit smoking in 1954 after almost catching the house on fire and never looked back. She did aerobics and home exercises years before they became common. She was a member of the UT Women’s Bowling League. Marian swam, she played tennis, and she ran, walked and hiked. She picked up pilates late in life. She was an avid sports fan, following anything tennis related and loving the Spurs, the Cubs and Longhorn Volleyball and every single team any of her grandchildren played on. All the way into her 90’s, and until the accident in March of 2021 that ultimately claimed her, she maintained her fitness and activities at a level that drew marvel from and gave inspiration to all that knew her.

Marian was a doer, a lifelong learner, read voraciously and loved languages, learning Spanish and German well after college. Marian loved life and loved to see and participate in life, traveling to over 40 countries and literally adventuring in every corner of the world. She flew on a hang glider in Chile, rode a camel at the Great Pyramids, travelled by rickshaw in Bangladesh, swam with sea turtles in Costa Rica, camped through the Rockies, climbed the biggest bridge in Japan, and snorkeled the Barrier Reef, just to name a few. But more than anything, Marian loved her family, the crown jewel of her accomplishments. And she loved them actively, most especially her grandchildren, of whom she was so incredibly proud. As they grew up, Marian gladly and lovingly participated in their daily lives: she taught them; she baked and cooked for them, attended and enjoyed every sporting, musical and religious event, was there at every graduation of every level and challenged them to do and be their best. Marian loved them tirelessly and deeply, and they knew it, felt it and appreciated it, seeing her as an incredible woman and an example of how to live a good life to the very fullest. For that and for Marian, we are eternally grateful.

Marian is survived by her loving Husband, Jack; children, Mary, Michael (and wife Anna Lozano), Dennis (and wife Carol), Sheila Peters (and Husband Ed Peters), Sean (and Wife Roslyn) and Kerry (and Partner Mark); grandchildren, Alyssa, Amy, Brett, Collin, Carol, John, Florencia, Connor, Logan, Ryan, Dillon, Finn and Leighton; her brothers Jim ( and Wife Marge) and Ed Killian and many beautiful nieces and nephews.

Marian was preceded in death by her daughter, Eileen and son, Christopher; her parents, Jim and Florence Killian; and her brother, Steve.

A Funeral Mass will be held for Marian at St. Austin Catholic Church at 1 P.M. on Wednesday, December 22, 2021 and also livestreamed. Masks are required please. In lieu of a reception, the Family will visit out front of the Church following Mass. Please park at the Garage at 500 W. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Austin, Texas 78701.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Marian’s name to the Volunteer HealthCare Clinic, 4215 Medical Pkwy, Austin, TX 78756 or to the Christopher Breen Memorial Scholarship at St. Austin’s School, 800 Herndon Ln Austin, TX 78704; https://www.staustinschool.org/support-us/give-online.