Theresa Marie Larkin

Theresa Larkin’s journey on this earth peacefully ended on December 2, 2024, at her home in beautiful Idyllwild, California, in view of the majesty of nature. She was surrounded by her beloved pets and loved ones as she transitioned, just as she desired.

Theresa Marie came into the world on August 29, 1955, in Riverside, California. She was a fearless and intelligent child who grew into the dynamic force of nature beloved by many over the course of a life devoted to the arts and education.

Her teen years in Redondo Beach, CA, sharpened her creativity and strong will. Her undergraduate years at Loyola Marymount University studying theatre and dance established her admiration for the Jesuits and their connection to education and brought forth lifelong friends who recall her striking and dynamic stage presence at such a young age. She moved through space like a mesmerizing dynamo.

Theresa pursued her MFA at UC Irvine, studying Drama and Shakespeare Performance. She directed many productions and delivered indelibly strong performances in The Visit, Coriolanus, The Threepenny Opera, and Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander, among others. She established long-lasting and deep intellectual and personal connections with many teachers, peers, and students from this era that have lasted a lifetime.

While she was a powerhouse talent on stage, her true mission and passion in life were to convene students and artists and to foster platforms for artistic and intellectual communion, which manifested in a career of teaching, directing, and producing theatre. She began her professional life teaching and directing at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, followed by an assistant professorship at San Jose State University. Back in Southern California, she served on the faculty of National University and embarked on a long career at Cal State Los Angeles as tenured professor before her retirement in 2018. She made an enormous impact on so many of us over these years as a teacher, mentor, and inspirational friend.

Following her retirement, she relocated to beautiful Idyllwild with her father, connecting them to joyful family memories and beautiful nature. She served as the Special Assistant to the Dean at San Diego State University and as Interim Governance Administrator at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University in Nova Scotia, Canada.

A lifelong learner, she studied Activism, Cultural Studies, and Media at Claremont University, where she received her Master’s Degree in 2009 and her Ph.D. in 2011. She was completing a second Ph.D. before the health challenges of this year overtook her.

She was predeceased by her father, Ned William Larkin, her mother, Ruth (nee Smith) Larkin, and her sister, Tina Pappas. She is survived by brothers Steve Pappas and Nick Pappas, nieces and nephews Matt, Melanie, Hayley, and Cassie, and extended family Melissa Smith Phillips, Timothy Larkin, Candy Pappas, Reza Nafez, and many others along with the cherished friends she held close to her heart.

Theresa was an exceptional artist, human, friend, and mentor. She made a significant impact on so many individuals through her teaching and in her everyday interactions with others. She was incredibly generous with her love for friends and family. She adored her animal family in equal measure. In every action, Theresa was engaged, attentive, challenging, and loving. She lived life on her own terms and was grateful for the full life she led. She was brave, exceptional, strong, and brilliant; there never will be another quite like her. Her many loved ones will miss her forever.

There will be a Celebration of Life held on April 12, 2025, at 3:00 pm

The Rustic Theatre & Entertainment Center

Idyllwild, California, 92549

Venue: (951) 659 2747