Margery Ann Mooney

Margery Ann (Roma) Mooney was born on December 1, 1928 in Stephens, Arkansas. She was the only daughter of Charles and Hazel Roma. At an early age, and at the beginning of the Great Depression her dad travelled to California in search of work. After a couple of years in California, Margery and her mother joined him in California. In 1933 they bought a house on Brunswick Avenue in the Atwater District in the City of Los Angeles. It was on Brunswick Avenue where she met her lifelong friend Jean Stockdale. In a letter to Jean, Margery described their friendship as “one of the sweetest gifts life can bring.”

Upon graduating from John Marshall High School, Margery attended UCLA. At UCLA Margery and Jean were roommates and sorority sisters in Alpha Delta Chi. Margery graduated UCLA in 1950 and began teaching at Washington Elementary School in Redondo Beach.

In September 1950 at a weekend conference at Forest Home, a Christian camp in San Bernardino County, Margery meet the love of her life, Bill Mooney. In anticipation of Bill’s Navy Reserve unit being called up for active duty during the Korean War, their courtship was short and they married on March 17, 1951. (Bill never was called up.) Years later, they would make annual pilgrimages to the exact meeting spot at Forest Home and reenact their first meeting.

Their first apartment was in Manhattan Beach, but they soon bought their first house on 164th Street in Torrance. It is there they started their family with Billy (1954), Bobby (1956) and Donny (1960). When Billy was born, Margery took an extended break from teaching.

After a family trip to Europe in the summer of 1966, the family moved to their new home on 171st Street in Torrance. This would be Margery’s home for the next 52 years. She created a loving family home where friends and strangers were always welcomed with a smile and sometimes chocolate chip cookies.

In the early 1970s, Margery returned to teaching. First as a substitute teacher in the Redondo Beach School District, then a reading teacher at Washington Elementary School. She loved to help young children develop their reading skills. Later she returned to the classroom as a third grade teacher. After several years teaching at Washington, she taught for a couple of years in Lawndale. She then found a home at First Lutheran School where teaching not only became fun again, but part of her mission and ministry. In 1993, she retired from First Lutheran School.

Margery and Bill loved to travel. For 20 years they spent two weeks a year on Kauai and it became their special place. They also loved their numerous trips to Palm Springs and Palm Desert. Their travels included numerous trips within the United States, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, the Virgin Islands, and Bermuda. Margery often commented that when growing up in the depression, never in here wildest dreams did she ever imagine that she would have the opportunity to travel to so many wonderful places in the world.

One of her great passions was her summer hiking trips with a group of women that became known as the Rainbow High Hikers. For over 30 years they took summer hiking trips to Yosemite and other locations. One year they all travelled to Switzerland and hiked on the Matterhorn and surrounding area.

Since losing Bill in 2009, Margery continued dedicating her time to helping her family and friends, whether it was taking care of friends, driving them to appointments or to the store or just having them over for coffee. When she moved to Oakmont she loved meeting new people and greeting the new residents to help them in their transition.

She is survived by her loving family, Billy, his wife Karen, their son Kyle, daughter Kristen and her wife Sara; Bobby, his wife Jeannie, their daughter Tessa, son Ty and his wife Coco and their daughter Helaena (Margery first and only great-grandchild); Donny, his wife Samantha and their daughter Morgan.

While Margery’s passing brings great sadness to those who loved her, she lived a good life. A life filled with love and joy. She shared her love, kindness, compassion, optimism, and genuineness with so many beyond her family. So many lives were enriched by her love and generosity. She loved people and they loved her back. A life well lived. A life to be celebrated.