Marie Douglas

Marie van der Linden Douglas, 93, passed away peacefully of “old age with no drugs” on May 4th, 2016 in San Rafael, CA with her daughter Sher and her beloved dog Tippy at her side. She entered the love of the Lord and his angels but will be sadly missed by her daughter Sheree (Sher) Linden Ripley and her husband Greg Ripley, granddaughter, Blair Linden Marie Ripley, all in San Rafael, and sister Dorothy Smith of West Salem, Ohio.

Born Anna Maria van der Linden in Akron, Ohio on July 9, 1922 to Dutch and Hungarian immigrate parents, Cornelius (Harry) and Laura (Nemeth) van der Linden. Marie and her 2 younger sisters were raised on the Harvey S. Firestone Estates, living a wonderful childhood in the “Gate Houses” – spending summers at Harbel Manor in Akron and winters at Harbel Villa in Miami Beach where her parents worked for the Firestone family for 50 yrs. She graduated from Buchtel High School Class of 1940. Marie was a member of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) – Tire Town Chapter – for 70 years. She worked at the Firestone factory offices and was a cryptographer for the U.S. during WWII, sending top secret messages from the factory to Liberia troops. Marie was working at Circle Realty for Cora Douglas (later her mother-in law), where she met her husband Vernon (Doug) Douglas, and married in 1957 and had their only child, Sheree. Together they owned Doug’s Body and Fender, car repair shop on Carroll Street in Akron for over 50 years. Marie loved her family, jokes & laughter, reading, old TV shows, movies, and traveling. She was at Creekwood Senior Assisted Living for 5 years with the companionship of Tippy when she passed away. She greatly enjoyed living the past 20 years in San Francisco Bay area with her daughter, Sheree and son-in-law, Greg as she watched her only grandchild, Blair, grow up.

Marie also leaves behind her Ohio extended family - stepson William E Douglas (Alicia) and stepdaughter Pamela J Decker, and their children and grandchildren. Lots of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon Edwin Douglas (Doug) in 1994, her sister Laura Boyer and stepdaughter LaVerne McGhee Hirschfelt.

A Celebration of Life will be held on June 4 at 2:00 pm at the First Congregational Church in San Rafael, 8 N San Pedro Road, San Rafael, CA, and a Memorial service in Ohio will be held on June 9 at 11:00 am at Catavolos Funeral Home, 3653 West Market St. Akron, Ohio, with Inurnment in Rose Hill Burial Park.