Marla Wilmot

PHOENIX – Marla Marshall Wilmot was born to Hawley and Theda Penn in Dayton, Ohio, on October 20, 1941. She moved to AZ in elementary school and later attended Camelback High School where she graduated in 1959. She married Ron Petica and resided in Tucson where she had son Ronald Scott Petica on February 25, 1961 and son Kent Nicholas Petica on May 27, 1967. She then divorced, moved to back to Phoenix and worked for Motorola and later Scottsdale Unified School District. She later married Lew Wilmot on September 18, 1970. She had Shanna Lynn Wilmot on December 25, 1971 and Melanie Rae Wilmot on June 22, 1978. Marla was a homemaker and always loved volunteering at her kids’ school. She was a baseball mom and cheer mom always supporting her kids in their sports/ activities. In 1986, Lew and Marla moved to Albuquerque where she joined the tennis club and enjoyed snow skiing. In 1990, Lew and Marla moved to Lodi, CA where she worked at Mickey Grove Zoo hosting childrens’ birthday parties. In 1998, Lew and Marla moved back to Phoenix to retire. Marla insisted on always keeping the house in Ahwatukee and so this was once again home for the past 20 years. Marla enjoyed volunteering her time for various organizations including driving retirees to appointments in the Ahwatukee area. She always made friends easily with her warm heart. Marla also enjoyed spending time with her family, friends, neighbors and especially her grandkids. She is survived by her husband Lew, sons Scott and Kent, daughters Shanna and Melanie, granddaughter Jennifer (39), grandson Nick (27), grandson Robert (24), granddaughter Tatum (16), grandson Kolter (12) and great-grandson Kaden (13) and her dog Merlin. Marla was “Mama Marla” or “Grandma Marla” to many lucky people and she will be missed very much! A celebration of her life will held on Saturday, June 2nd at 2:00 PM at Green Acres Mortuary 401 N. Hayden Rd. Scottsdale, AZ. Contributions may be made in Marla’s name to ASPSA: American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America