Obituary of Marcella McKillican

Marci McKillican passed away peacefully after a mercifully brief struggle with cancer. Marci was born in Kansas, to Warren and Grace Buell, and grew up in Wood River, Illinois where her father worked for Shell Refinery. After graduating high school she attended college at Illinois State Normal University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Marci met Tom Smith when one of her roommates brought him home for a visit. Tom and Marci married in January 1948 and settled in Spokane, WA where Tom worked as a radio announcer at the local news station. Son Dean and daughter Susan were born in Spokane. When Susan was a month old, the family moved to the Bay Area where Marci's parents resided and where sons Brian and Chuck were born. Marci's husband Tom passed away in 1965, leaving her a young widow raising four children. Although she had been a stay-at-home mom for 16 years, she immediately found a job at the Richmond Unified School District where she worked in the Administration office until she retired in 1989. Marci had been a member of the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church (now the Open Door UMC) for over 50 years. Her faith was the foundation of her life, and she often said that prayer made her life better. She wanted her epitaph to be: "She tried to follow the Lord wholeheartedly." After retirement, Marci knew she had to keep her mind and body strong, so she filled her life with hiking (with the Contra Costa Hiking Club), water exercise (Rusty Hinges was the name of her group), two book clubs, the Conservation Committee of her homeowners' association, various social issues, and volunteer work both at her church and at the Souper Center of the Greater Richmond Interfaith. Marci's greatest pleasure was getting together with family and friends. She loved nothing better than hosting get-togethers at her house, especially when all of her grandkids could be with her. Marci is survived by her four children, Dean Smith, Susan Smith Josephson (and husband Ken), Brian Smith (and wife Terry), and Chuck Smith; five grandchildren, Lynn Josephson, Tom Josephson, Amy Josephson, Adam Smith, and Kenny Smith; and one great granddaughter, Hallie Zenga-Josephson. A Celebration of Life will be held at Open Door United Methodist Church (6226 Arlington Blvd., Richmond) at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 6, 2014. If people wish to make a donation to charity in memory of Marci, the family suggests the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program (http://www.gripcommunity.org) or your local food bank.