Marie Corrales Marín lived her life of 98 years in loving service to her family, friends, and associates fortunate and blessed to know her. Slowed only by complications from a steep fall in 2017, she took her last breath in the comfort of her home the evening of November 25, 2022. Born in Winkelman, Arizona on May 31, 1924, to Trinidad and Eloisa López Escalante Corrales, Marie spent many of her childhood days and summers on her grandparents’ cattle ranch, riding horses, roping calves, branding and marking stock. She was a real cowgirl!
Marie was the first in her little mining town to attend and graduate from college—Arizona State College (1946). Undaunted by its size, she participated in a variety of activities and clubs: Los Conquistadores, Pan American League, Future Teachers of America, Association of Childhood Education, Women’s Athletic Association, Geographic Society, and Newman Club. A “tomboy” since childhood, she excelled in tennis, baseball, and golf, initially majoring in Physical Education but later changing her major to Elementary Education and beginning a 40-year career of service through education to both children and adults.
After teaching 3rd and 5th Grades in Superior, Arizona, Marie became identified with Dysart Elementary School as their beloved 1st Grade teacher of Spanish-speaking children, later as District Coordinator of Migrant Education, and then as District Director of Federal Programs. In between these years, Marie served as Director of Friendly House (United Fund Agency for Adult Education) and, in southern California, field-tested one of the pilot programs of Bilingual Education. Her final work was in the ESL program in Phoenix’ Creighton School District. Marie’s commitment to education was recognized with awards for Outstanding Educator, Teacher of the Year, and by inclusion in the 1967 edition of Who’s Who in American Education. Throughout her teaching career, she maintained membership in professional educational associations: Delta Kappa Gamma, Alpha Omicron, AEA, NEA, Arizona Bilingual Council, Arizona Assoc. of Mexican American Educators, American Assoc. of University Women, and National Assoc. for Bilingual Education.
Marie made time for civic involvement as well. She was a founding member of the Vesta Club, a scholarship organization that supported college-bound Hispanic students, as well as Las Damas del Valle, initially founded to support Latino communities in a myriad of ways and that currently offers scholarship support for Latino students’ educational goals. Marie served on the Boards of Directors for Phoenix YWCA, Maricopa County Campfire Girls, and Friendly House and held memberships in the Phoenix Business and Professional Women’s Club, Dysart Center Auxiliary, LULAC, IMAGE, and American Coordinating Council on Political Education. A member of St. Gregory Catholic Church since 1952, Marie offered her time in the parish office and supported and volunteered in its elementary school. In addition, she volunteered as an aide at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
Marie married her high school sweetheart, Dr. Eugene Acosta Marín (d.1999), on Thanksgiving Day, 1947. Throughout their professional and civic life together, she was an adoring wife and an absolutely devoted mother. With her husband and grandsons Sean Gabriel (d.2013) and Seamus Raphael (d.2014), she awaits being reunited with daughters Marty O’Bryan (Bert), Beverley Mitchell (Brent), granddaughter Christina Mitchell (Rob Salisbury), grandsons Michael and Devin, great granddaughter Sabrina Eloisa, with sister Martha Pérez, nieces Anna and Carol, with aunt Isabel Sosa (102!) and with a multitude of cousins.
A Visitation will be held on Friday, December 9, 2022 from 4PM-6PM with Sharing from 5:30PM – 6PM and a Rosary starting at 6PM at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. For those unable to attend services on Friday please join us on the live stream video at
https://www.facebook.com/WhitneyMurphyFH/live/
. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 9:30AM on Saturday, December 10, 2022 at St. Gregory Catholic Church, 3424 N. 18th Avenue, Phoenix.