Marcia Jenkins Pitkin

Marcia Jenkins Pitkin was born on June 24, 1934, as the first child of Albert and Claribeth (Proctor) Jenkins, and grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, graduating from Franklin High School in 1952. She attended the University of Iowa, was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority, and graduated in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Education. She taught art and English in public schools in Davenport, Iowa, and West Branch, Iowa.


Marcia married Roy Macbeth Pitkin at St. John's Episcopal Church in Cedar Rapids on August 17, 1957, and welcomed her first child, Barbara, into the world on September 26, 1959, after their move to Seattle, Washington, for Roy's medical internship at King County Hospital. Marcia and Roy moved back to Iowa City in 1960 for Roy's medical residency and lived in Hawkeye Apartments on the far west end of town near what is now Iowa City West High School. Their older son, Robert, and their younger daughter, Kathryn, were both born in Iowa City on May 9, 1961 and March 11, 1963, respectively.


The family moved to Cherry Point, North Carolina, in the summer of 1963 to fulfill Roy's military commitment. Barbara and Robert both learned to swim on the Marine base where they lived, and Barbara started school there. After release from active duty, they moved to suburban Chicago, Illinois, where Roy took an appointment to the faculty of the University of Illinois Medical School. They first lived in Lombard, Illinois, then purchased a home in Hickory Hills, Illinois, where Robert started school. Marcia's youngest child, William, was born in LaGrange, Illinois on May 8, 1968.


The Pitkins moved back to Iowa City in 1968 when Roy accepted a position on the faculty of the University of Iowa College of Medicine. They bought a house at 630 West Park Road and the children attended Lincoln Elementary School. A couple of years later, they bought a house at 517 Templin Road, across from City Park. All four children graduated from West High School. Each subsequently graduated from college and obtained a doctoral degree (Barbara from Carleton College and the University of Chicago; Robert from Wheaton College and Wake Forest University School of Law; Kathryn from Duke University and the University of California, Los Angeles; and Bill from Wheaton College and the University of California, Los Angeles).


While her children were growing up, Marcia was a full-time mother and homemaker, roles at which she excelled. As her children became more independent, she discovered an interest and abilities in caregiving, especially from a Christian perspective. This led her to seek training and then to found and direct the Stephen Ministry caregiving program at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City. She also served as a volunteer Chaplain's Assistant at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.


In 1987, Marcia and Roy moved to Los Angeles, California, when Roy accepted a position at UCLA. Marcia founded and directed a Stephen Ministry program at Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church. She also served as a volunteer Chaplain's Assistant at the UCLA Medical Center.


In 1991, they bought a second home in the California desert and in 2000 moved full-time to La Quinta, California, in 2000 following Roy's retirement. Marcia founded and directed her third Stephen Ministry program at Palm Desert Community Presbyterian Church in Palm Desert, California. All three Stephen Ministry programs she founded were highly successful and continue in operation now, decades after their initiation. Marcia and Roy later became members of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert, where Marcia joined the Order of the Daughters of the King, by which she pledged herself to a life-long program of prayer, service and evangelism. She remained relatively healthy and active until the last year before her death at home on May 7, 2019. During her illness, she received excellent care from several care-givers, most recently and most prominently Joanna Avila.


Marcia is survived by her husband of nearly 62 years, Roy, of La Quinta, California; her daughter Barbara Pitkin (husband Brent Sockness; children Magdalene and William) of Stanford, CA; her son Robert Pitkin, (wife Jane; children Allison, Molly, and Andrew) of Olathe, KS; her daughter Kathryn Pitkin Derose (husband Stephen; children Nathanael and Leander) of Los Angeles, CA; and her son William Pitkin (wife Anaité Cáceres; children Mateo and Iona) of Los Angeles, CA; and a sister, Louise Trachta of Tofte, MN. Her brother, Charles Jenkins preceded her in death. She had numerous nieces and nephews and their families, all of whom looked to her as the preeminent "outlaw"


There will be a Celebration of Life at St. Andrew Community Presbyterian Church, 47-192 Monroe, Indio, California on June 15, 2019 at 2:00 p.m., followed by a reception at the church.


Marcia was a devoted wife, caring mother, and loving grandmother. She was a compassionate soul who shared the love of Christ with all around her, leaving a lasting legacy. The family suggests that anyone wishing to make a memorial contribution consider Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine, a no-charge medical and dental clinic serving Coachella Valley residents unable to get health care anywhere else. http://cvvim.org/donate/