Marian E. Houck

MARIAN EILEEN TRAYLOR BALISOK HOUCK B. August 30, 1919, Reedley California S. May 20, 2017, Corvallis, Oregon Marian was barn to Ruth Jones and Lawrence Traylor, both descendants of early pioneers, who settled in the central valley of California in the mid-19th century. Marian attended school in Reedley and Visalia. After living on an Indian reservation in Modoc County with relatives, she graduated from Visalia High School in 1937. She moved to Los Angeles to study secretarial skills at Los Angeles City College where she met her first husband Coleman Balisok. Coleman's family had immigrated from Lithuania to Norfolk, Virginia in the 1860s. Marian and Coleman had two children: Robert Leon and Russell Steven. Marian and Coleman were divorced in 1950. Marian overcame enormous obstacles in her life, and repeatedly proved her strength and resilience. While working as a legal secretary, Marian began law school in 1959 at Southwestern University in Los Angeles. In 1962 she married Alden Houck, a prominent Los Angeles attorney, adding his 3 children (Alan, Cynthia & Lynne) to her family. After years of being away from law school, Marian returned to Southwestern and completed her law school degree in 1971. She successfully passed the California Bar Exam on her fist attempt and was admitted to the California Bar Association in 1972. During their more than 25 years of marriage, until Alden's death in 1988, they enjoyed their family and their friends from their various memberships in Masonic, Shriner, and Lions organizations in Los Angeles. Both were avid golf players and Bridge players; they became Life Masters at Bridge. Marian continued to practice law until she was well into her 80s. She enjoyed talking about legal cases with her son Russ (also an attorney) to the very end of her days. Marian gave up driving (to the delight and relief of her family) at age 93. She continued to live independently in her home in Burbank, California. Until age 95 when she moved to Timberhill Place, in Corvallis, Oregon, to be? near more family. Up until her death, Marian continued to read voraciously, was a master at solving jigsaw puzzles and wouldn't miss a Bingo game at Timberhill. She enjoyed her family and was always ready to attend parties, plays and events involving her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Marian loved being at Timberhill Place and felt love from the caregivers there. Marian's great-grandson Henry helped arrange a concert at Timberhill Place by the Cheldelin Middle School Orchestra, where he plays violin. Marian delighted in the experience and in seeing Henry play. Within an hour after the performance, Marian experienced an onset of breathing problems that led to her admission to hospital from which she never recovered. Among her last words were to her son Russ: "Have a good life!" and to her beloved granddaughter Julie: "It's time for Grandma to go." Marian is survived by Alden's daughters Cynthia and Lynne and Lynne's husband Steven Arnold, by her son Russell, daughter-in-law Dorothy, granddaughter Julie, grandson-in-law Tony Pappas and great grandchildren Jonah, Benjamin, Henry and Helaina, She is predeceased by her husband Alden, step-son Alan, and her son Robert Leon "Aryeh" Balisok, and she is survived by Aryeh's children Avraham, Levi, Joseph, Merele, Chanie, Shneur, Yocheved, Chaya, Dini and Shmuel, and by their spouses and children. *The concert was held May 16 and a journalist was present to record the event which was reported online and in a video clip available on YouTube; an article with Marian's picture appeared on the front of the Gazette Times on May 18.

Tributes

Marian E. Houck

August 30, 1919 - May 20, 2017