Marilyn Lee Wharton's Obituary
Lynn (Marilyn Lee) Wharton will be remembered for the love and light she brought to her family, friends and all who were lucky enough to cross her path. She had such an impact on people throughout her life. She was charming, cheerful, had a sharp mind and a wonderful spirit. Above all she lived her life passionately. She was passionate about her family, her friends, her faith, and her country. She was a happily dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend.
Lynn passed away on the evening of November 7, 2020, from Covid, just two months after celebrating her 88th birthday. She was lucid to the end, saying she was “not afraid…lived a very full life, and am at peace.” Most importantly, she asked that Debbie (daughter), Denise and Tim (daughter and her husband), David and Tiffany (grandson and his wife) and her grandchildren, Marley (4) and Emmitt (1) be told how much she loved and adored them. Characteristically, she joked that she was looking forward to reuniting with her beloved husband, Jerry, her adored mother and father, Lillian and Johnny Stanich, and would soon be playing Pinochle with them, again, in heaven.
Lynn was born on September 13,1932 during the Great Depression, and was raised in Los Angeles and Hollywood. She delighted in sharing her adventures of collecting autographs from Paramount Studios stars like Anthony Quinn, Burgess Meredith, and Paulette Goddard. She vividly recalled and shared stories of her mother, a true ‘Rosie the Riveter”, who worked in airplane construction during World War II and sang on the KGFJ radio station as, “Little Lillie Moore, Queen of Jazz”. Lynn often spent her summers in Sacramento with her aunt and uncle, Mary and Elmer Landers and her cousin, Barbara Lee, whom she considered her “sister”. The Depression made life very difficult. She spent two years living with family in Boise Idaho, where she happily recalled being elected Prom Queen, and in Huntington Oregon, where she saw the Harlem Globetrotters play at her high school gym.
At 18, she married the love of her life, Jerry (Jeril) Wharton (27), a WWII Navy veteran, and they bought their first home, in Sacramento, in 1950. They were loving devoted parents to their two daughters, Debbie and Denise, creating a rich life full of activity and adventure. Their home was a warm hub of activity, dinners, parties, games and holidays filled with humor and love.
While raising her daughters, Lynn enjoyed volunteering with the Sacramento Children’s Home Guild and the Sacramento Theater Guild. While in the Children’s Home Guild, she helped build the Sacramento Solar House, and many other projects, which helped fund the building of the Casa de los Ninos. While in the Sacramento Theater Guild she volunteered on multiple projects, among them, the establishing of the Black and White Ball. It was during this time that Lynn became concerned about public school issues and, therefore, began a lifelong interest in politics.
In 1971, the family business, Sunshine Hatchery, was sold and they moved to Modesto, CA, where Lynn began volunteering with the Stanislaus County Republican Party. She was instrumental in highly successful fundraising campaigns, and eventually was elected Chairman of the Stanislaus County Republican Party Central Committee. Throughout the rest of her life she volunteered on many local, state and national campaigns.
During that time she also earned her California Real Estate license and became very successful in the first all-female real estate office in Modesto, Dix-Prouty Realty. She was highly respected by agents, brokers and clients for her ethics and personable nature. As such, Lynn accepted the position as the premier real estate agent for Gallo Winery. She especially enjoyed helping many first-time buyers and mentoring new real estate agents, with the qualities she believed in. She continued in real estate in Modesto, and later Sacramento, retiring after a 20 year career.
It was during her time as a realtor and title representative in Sacramento that Lynn’s entrepreneurial side emerged when she started her own business, “Kudos”. She designed and put tremendous effort, and financial risk, into creating a unique tiered gift catalog for business professionals. It was heartily received by the business community.
Lynn had a zest for life, was interested in history, art, theater, and was blessed to have traveled extensively with Jerry to Asia, Europe, Mexico, Hawaii and the Caribbean. She was a hostess extraordinaire for her family and friends, making each occasion a special event. She enjoyed gourmet cooking clubs, delighted in active conversation, always spoke her mind, had a marvelous sense of humor, was fiercely competitive in backgammon and rummy, enjoyed puzzles and red wine. She was an avid Giants fan.
She will be remembered as an exceedingly compassionate, kind and generous person who cared deeply for her family and friends. She was happy to share her time, opinion, knowledge and experience. Her grandson and great grand-children were the highlight of her life. Her bond with David was extraordinary, filled with long conversations, warmth and heartfelt love. Hers was a great spirit, who rose above adversity in life with resiliency. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
She is loved and will be profoundly and intensely missed by her daughters, Debbra Cornwell, Denise Oriard and son-in-law Tim, grandson David Cornwell and wife Tiffany, grandchildren Marley and Emmitt, and many adored nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
We would like to thank everyone for the expressions of love received during this time. Due to Covid concerns, a celebration of Lynn’s life will be held for family and close friends in 2022.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made to the Wounded Warriors or Team Rubicon organizations in her name.
Obituary and pictures also posted on Beyond the Dash website.
woundedwarriorproject.org/donate
teamrubiconusa.org
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