CAROL CHRISTIAN ATKINSON MARVEL

Carol Marvel, 97, passed away peacefully on January 3, 2020 in Lodi, California.

Carol was born in San Francisco on November 11, 1922 to David and Norma Christian, herself a San Francisco Native. She attended local schools, including Aptos Junior High and graduated from Lowell High. Carol enrolled in UCLA; her college education was interrupted by the death of her father, and by World War II.

Carol married Jim Atkinson, also of San Francisco, and traveled with him as he trained as an artillery officer before he was posted in Europe. In 1944, she enrolled at Stanford University, graduating with a degree in Municipal Administration in 1946. While at Stanford, she earned her Solo Flight Accreditation, and told of her flight over the Stanford campus, dipping her wings to her friends on the Quad, and missing her landing (though she succeeded on her second attempt).

After the war, Carol moved to Modesto, then to Stockton, and in 1961 to Lodi. There she worked at the Lodi Public Library, and eventually as a deputy City Clerk, where she finally got to put to use her municipal administration degree.

Throughout her life, Carol was an active volunteer in many community organizations, including the Red Cross, March of Dimes, Tiny Tots Nursery, Lodi Newcomers’ Club and the Lodi Garden Club. She was active in the Lodi Tennis Club, was a trustee of the Hill House Museum, on the board of Tokay PLayers, a volunteer with the Night Time Love concert series, and the Veteran’s PLaza Foundation Board.

Carol’s community involvement was officially recognized when, in 2007, the Lodi Chamber of Commerce named her “Citizen of the Year”. The following year she was inducted into the Lodi Hall of Fame.

After her first marriage ended, she met and married Clifford Marvel, also of Lodi. Together, they were able to travel the world, much of the time through the Elder Hostel program. They visited Australia, New

Zealand, Finland, Hungary, Norway, the U.K. and, her favorite, France. With her sister Noel, she traveled to her father’s ancestral home on the Isle of Man. Every year she would spend time at her summer cabin in Rio Nido on the Russian River, first purchased by her grandmother in 1925.

Throughout her life, Carol was an avid sports enthusiast. She was the San Francisco City High golf champion in her senior year at Lowell, and played tennis until her 70’s. She told of going to the 1932 Olympics with her father in Los Angeles and saw Babe Didricksen set a world record in javelin. She rooted actively for the Giants, Forty Niners and Stanford Indians (later Cardinals). When Cal beat Stanford in last year’s Big Game, she jokingly said “Well good for them. I can’t remember the last time that happened!”

Carol’s lifetime passion was music and music education, and she was an active musician and concert goer. Her principal instrument was flute, and she was the bugler for her Girl Scout camp. She also had a beautiful singing voice. She joined the Lodi Community Band in 1961 and later the Stockton Concert Band through Delta College. With these organizations, she was able to travel to, and play in the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Carnegie Hall in New York, as well as in London and Hawaii.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, David and Norma Christian; her brother, David (“Buddy”); her sisters, Diane and Noel; and her daughter, Christie.

She is survived by her husband, Cliff of Lodi; sons, Duncan Atkinson of Lodi, Doug Atksinson (Chrys) of El Dorado Hills, and David Atkinson (Kathy Moniz) of Stockton; grandchildren, Duncan Connelly of Seattle, Bea Atkinson Myer of Santa Cruz, Anne Nachtwey (Rob) of Berkeley, Elizabeth Atkinson (Aaron Steinberg) of San Leandro, Courtney Collett (Matt) of Denver, Jordan Martin (Brian) of Folsom, and Nic Atkinson of Sacramento; ten greatgrandchildren; and her cousin, Betty Soules of Berkeley.

A memorial will be held for Carol on Sunday, April 5, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at the Lodi Women’s Club, 325 Pine Street.

The family would like to thank the staff at Arbor Nursing Center in Lodi and Hospice of San Joaquin for their gentle care and assistance during Carol’s last days. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Lodi Community Band by contacting Director Art Holton at arthur.holton@deltacollege. edu

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