E. Marie Mcartor

E. Marie McArtor entered eternal life on June 29, 2024, at 8:25 in the morning. She was 96 years old.
Visitation will be at Holland and Lyons Mortuary on July 9th from 4 to 7pm. The Rosary will be recited at 5:00pm. Funeral services will be at 11am on July 10th at St. Ann Catholic Church. Father Santiago will preside.

Marie was born December 17, 1927 in Conneautville, Penn. to Ralph James Chapman and Josephine Martorana Chapman. Her family moved to Trumbull County, Ohio when she was three weeks old and resided there until they moved to California in 1951. She graduated from North Bloomfield High School in 1945 and attended Ohio State University for one year. She then worked for the Warren Telephone Company for a year. While there, she met Bob McArtor and they were married on April 30, 1949. Marie then worked for the Columbus General Depot for two years.

During this period of time, two sons were born, Robert Paul and Michael Scott. In December of 1951, they moved to California to join Marie's parents. She went to work for the Pasadena Annex of the Naval Ordnance Test Station in February 1952. In September of that year, both she and Bob transferred to NOTS China Lake. She worked for six months in the Training Division before transferring to the Metric Photo Branch where she became the first woman missile tracker for the United States. A third son, Stephen Christopher was born in 1955 and a fourth son, Jonathan Elias in 1957.

In 1959, Marie founded the local chapter of Sweet Adelines singing group and progressed to the position of Regent in the organization. She also trained for and became a certified Showmanship Judge for Sweet Adelines competitions. In 1966 while she was Regent she established a special award for small choruses and in 2013, was given the Noteworthy Award in recognition of this effort. In 2012, she founded a second chapter
of Sweet Adelines in Ridgecrest.

In 1973, she became an Administrative Officer in the Product Design Division, later transferring to the Technical Data Division when the Product Design Division was disestablished. She remained there until her retirement in 1983. She attended Cerro Coso Community College, earning an Associate of Arts degree in 1975.

In 1979, she joined the international sorority Beta Sigma Phi. She held many offices in her chapters and reached Masters level of membership. She counted her sister members as her extended family. Marie "adopted" every child she came in contact with to fulfill her wish to be a grandmother. All of these children called her "Grandma Mac".

For ten years, Marie assisted her husband with the small vending machine business they owned. She and Bob traveled over much of the United States in their pursuit of family genealogy becoming acquainted with many family members they had not previously known.

Marie is survived by her son Robert and wife, Micki, of Sparks, NV; son Jonathan of Ridgecrest, CA, grandson Nathan and former daughter-in-law, Emily of Ridgecrest; grandchildren Stefanie McDougal and Michael Fuller of Oregon and great-grandchildren Lorelie McArtor of Ridgecrest; Brooklyn Taylor, Owen Taylor, and Milo McDougal of Oregon, granddaughter Chanin Young and husband Johnny, great-grandchildren Samantha and Joshua Scholfield, great-great-grandchildren Riley and Levi, all from New Braunfels, Texas. Also many relatives and friends too numerous to mention individually. She will be greatly missed by those left behind.

She was preceded in death by her sons Michael Scott and Stephen Christopher and her husband Robert Michael.

In lieu of flowers, she would prefer a donation to St. Ann's School or to the donor's favorite charity in her name.

Interment will be in Resurrection Cemetery in South Pasadena where she will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband, Bob and her two sons, Michael and Stephen.

Funeral arrangements are provided by Holland and Lyons Mortuary.