Marilyn Babs) Lonon

Marilyn (Babs) Lonon, beloved mother, grandmother (Lollie), devoted wife, sister, aunt and friend, was born in San Mateo, California on December 5, 1943 and passed away after a brief battle with cancer, December 1, 2016 in her home in Yuba City, California, just prior to her 73rd birthday. She was a Christian and she sang to the glory of God for many years. A Celebration of Life service and reception will be held on January 21, 2017 at Bonanza Convention Center, 1001 Clark Ave., Yuba City. Services will begin at 10:00 am with the reception to follow at the same location. The family encourages you to embrace Babs' vibrant spirit by wearing bright colors and preparing to share your memories. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her honor to the Yuba Sutter Playzeum children's play museum, which was her most passionate project and most tangible legacy. Babs attended Park Elementary School and Crystal Springs School in the Uplands of Hillsborough, and graduated from San Mateo High School in 1961. She also graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science degree and later earned a Master's Degree in Education from California State University, Chico. Babs was devoted to teaching and taught early childhood education classes at Yuba College from many years. She mentored Foster teens, taught gourmet cooking classes which included educating our community how to work with the food processor and microwave when they became staples in homes. She advised and planned meals for Elderhostel and some local restaurants. She was an active volunteer and fund- raiser in the community and was known for being generous and kind. She offered her home to host worthy events, weddings or club meetings. She was a long time member of St. John's Episcopal Church where she worked in the food bank and sang in the choir, often as soloist. Over the course of her life in Yuba Sutter, she graced hundreds of christenings, weddings, funerals, and everything in between with her beautiful soprano voice. She was active in Alpha Sigma, P.E.O (5 times President), Fort Nightly Book Club, sang with the Master Chorale from its inception, was on the Board of Directors of the Viridian Symphony Orchestra, part of the Yuba-Sutter Oratorio Society (performed for many years), and followed her dream by co-founding and becoming Executive Director of PLAYZEUM children's play museum. Babs Lonon was a wife, partner, friend and caregiver to her beloved husband Gene, who preceded her in death, as well as her parents Bob and Alice Babcock. She is survived by her two children, Clay Retzer and wife Carrie and Rebecca Ormosen and husband Clinton; five grandchildren, Victoria and Zachary Retzer, Ajay, Sarah and Mariah Ormosen; her sister Sally Nees; nephew Garrett Nees and wife Vicki; niece Kathryn deBruijn and husband Bas, and five grand nieces and nephews as well as a community of friends and loved ones. It cannot be left unrecognized that Babs TOUCHED LIVES, young and old, many, many lives that will never be the same before her or without her. Farewell friend and Godspeed. -