Marianne Skorcz

“Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. She was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around her and always thinking before acting. She was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything she did. She was a friendly person who truly cared about those around her.

Marianne was born on May 26, 1941 at home in Marissa, Illinois. She was the daughter of Christian and Marie Louise Kirchhoefer. Raised in New Athens, Illinois, she was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, she learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that she would carry with her throughout her life.

As a young girl, Marianne was always aware of how others around her felt and this quality served her well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Marianne was generally able to avoid conflicts. It seemed as if Marianne was the family member who was always working to keep stress at bay. Preferring a quiet environment where she could concentrate, Marianne also had the ability to relate well with her family and friends. Marianne was raised with three siblings. She had an older brother Evgene and older sister Janet and younger sister Ruth Ellen who only survived a few days of life. Marianne was constantly involved in activities with her family. Marianne and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years.

Growing up, Marianne was one of those children who didn’t need to be in the center of a whirlwind of activity. She was content to entertain herself. Marianne was never pushy when it came to games and other activities, but rather, she was able to enjoy the pure fun these could bring. In just about everything she did as a child, Marianne was intent on pleasing both the adults and the other children around her. Marianne took part in a number of activities as a child. She took part in gardening. She was a member of 4-H. In her spare time she liked to read books and play piano.

Marianne enjoyed learning. She always had a great memory and was particularly skilled at retaining factual information. Marianne was generally quiet in class, learning best through observation. She often showed great concentration and was competent at completing the tasks at hand. Good with details, Marianne was painstaking and accurate in her efforts. All of these talents culminated in a successful high school career. She graduated from New Athens High School in 1959. Marianne enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite subjects and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was typing. She was in Honor Society, Class Vice President, and FFA Chapter Sweetheart.

Most folks would say that Marianne was shy until they got to know her. Those who were privileged to know her well learned that she was a solid, good friend. Marianne was reluctant to generalize about people, and she based her friendships on her personal experiences. Because of this, Marianne best trusted those people that she truly knew. She was concerned about how those around her felt, and she always seemed to uncover the positive side of people. She could relate to others and had the ability to see their point of view, to “walk a mile in their shoes,” as the saying goes. The friends that she made, Marianne kept. While growing up, one of her best friends was Jeanette Napier. Later in life, she became friends with Paula.

Love can’t be defined but must be experienced. That was so true for Marianne. Agatha Church of New Athens, Illinois. It was as if Marianne naturally sensed her spouse’s needs, and accepted those feelings unconditionally. Although Marianne disliked conflict, she did not take flight from discord, but rather sought to preserve harmony even during the most trying times.

Marianne was a good mother to her children. She had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because she trusted emotions, Marianne was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way she seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around her, always thinking before acting. In addition, Marianne was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around her might be, she seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Marianne was blessed with 2 children, one son Ron, and one daughter Cathy. They were also blessed with four grandchildren, Scott, Ashley, Andrew, and Amanda.

If you gave Marianne a deadline, she would meet it. At work, Marianne was always on task. Without hesitation, Marianne could adhere to any assignment and see it through to its completion. Her primary occupation was an office work manager. She was employed for over 20 years at Construction Notebook. During that time, Marianne excelled in working with small groups in order to complete assignments. She was able to quickly grasp concrete ideas and could organize and plan the best way to accomplish things with remarkable consistency. Marianne was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Marianne had a true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems. She was often the team member who managed to put forth a win/win solution for all parties.

Marianne liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Marianne's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Marianne preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and reading books. Marianne was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying her hobbies all by herself and could often be found just reading about her favorite pastimes.

While thorough and measured in her approach to things, Marianne often liked to physically do things rather than just think about them. She was like that with sports. Recreational sports included fishing and camping. She also enjoyed the statistical data and the facts behind the sports. In this way, she was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite teams whenever she got the opportunity.

Due to her excellent organizational skills, Marianne was a welcome addition to the professional and community organizations to which she belonged. Marianne could bring established, successful methods to the discussion table, along with a generous helping of common sense. Marianne was good at making and keeping schedules and never got bogged down in unnecessary details. In high school, Marianne was a member of the Honor Society. Throughout her later years, Marianne was an active member of the Southern Nevada Postal Customer Council.

Marianne was active in the community. She was practical and grounded and based her decisions on first hand experience. She was responsible and liked working to achieve results rather than just chattering about possibilities. Marianne was a member of several community groups, serving as a volunteer for U.S.A Fish and Wild Life Service.

An individual who respected and maintained traditional values, her faith was important to Marianne. Her compassion, consideration and sympathy toward others was evident in her personal beliefs. She was a member of the Catholic Church. During that time, she was a moderator for the Catholic Youth Organization.

Anyone who traveled or went on vacation with Marianne had smooth sailing. It was often taken for granted that she was the trip planner. She would start early and examine all of the possibilities, selecting the best and most effective options. Favorite vacations included Alaska, Hawaii, Utah, and Georgia.

When Marianne's retirement finally arrived in 2007, she was well prepared. She had taken the time to learn about her various options and chose her course wisely. Her new life involved relocating to Las Vegas Nevada. In retirement, she found new pleasure in fishing, RV traveling, and wild life volunteering. Even in retirement, Marianne continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities retirement offered her.

It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Marianne was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Marianne was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of woman to whom everyone was drawn. She was thorough and practical. Marianne Skorcz was very literal with her words. You always knew where you stood with Marianne. She will be missed.

Arrangements under the direction of Palm Eastern Mortuary, Las Vegas, NV.