Margery J. Jarvis (Hetherington)

   Long-time Capitola resident Margery Jean Jarvis passed away peacefully at home, after a brief illness, on Thursday, July 25, 2024, with her family by her side. She was just eight weeks shy of her 100th birthday. 

   Margery, whose family called her “Margie”, was born in Pasadena, California on Sept 19, 1924, the youngest child of Bob and Eleanor Hetherington. The family moved to Pollock Pines, California in 1936, where she graduated in 1943 from El Dorado County High School. After graduation Margie went to work for Pacific Bell Telephone in Placerville before moving with her parents to Soquel in 1947. After completing studies at Smith’s School of Business in Santa Cruz, she was employed as a Secretary at Soquel Elementary School from 1949-1956.

   On August 23, 1953 Marge married F. Harold Jarvis of Capitola, whom she met at a VFW social, and they settled in Capitola. They bought a home on Burlingame Ave in 1956, where they raised their three children and celebrated 51 years of marriage before Harold’s death in October 2004. Marge lived out the rest of her life in the family home, with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many extended family members celebrating Christmas with her there each year! She inherited her love for Christmas from her mother, and celebrated her 100th Christmas in 2023! 

   Margery is survived by her children, Susan Jarvis of Santa Cruz, Don Jarvis and his wife, Cindy, of Watsonville, and Marcie Ward and her husband, Rob, of Sicamous, BC; her grandchildren, Austin Jarvis of Soquel, Andrew Jarvis of Seattle, Nathan Morton of San Jose, Travis Morton of Capitola, and Emily Morton Potts and her husband Tyler of Sicamous, BC; her great grandchildren, Aliana Morton, Maiya Lake-Potts and Alexis Potts; and extended family members Jennie and Collin Brown, and their five children of Soquel, Katee and Bradley Wangia, and their three sons of Pennsylvania, Brian Ward of Summerland, BC, Angelica Guerisoli of Watsonville, Rich and April Morton of San Jose, and many cherished nieces and nephews living throughout the US. Marge was an avid genealogist and loved learning about her family history. She was proud that her father was a first generation American whose parents had immigrated from Scotland in the late 1800s, and she had traced her mother’s ancestral ties back to the Mayflower. She enjoyed connecting with distant cousins through her genealogical efforts, and she left several binders of original photos and family histories that will help us carry on her genealogy legacy. 

   Marge was predeceased by her husband, Frederick Harold Jarvis (1918—2004), her parents, Eleanor (nee Loring) (1894-1960) and Clarence Robert (1888-1981) Hetherington, and her siblings: brother Robert (1916-2001), beloved sister Lois Cohenour (1918-2010), brother Donald (1920-1926), and brother James Richard (1923-2014). Marge asked that no funeral services be held. She always loved the Sierra-Nevada mountains, and requested her ashes be scattered in Northern California near where she grew up. 

   Marge’s family would like to thank Benito & Azzaro Funeral Home for their sensitive care and professionalism, and Hospice Santa Cruz (especially Gabrielle, Laura and Stephanie) for your many kindnesses and support during Mom’s final days. Friends and family who would like to remember Margery are invited to send tribute gifts in her name to Hospice of Santa Cruz County, 940 Disc Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066