Marion M. Pasternacki, 95, died at home in Flagstaff, AZ on Sept. 13, 2015. She was born January 1, 1920 in Stockton, WI to Peter and Josephine (Derezinski) Zagzebski. Nine of her 11 siblings have preceded her in death. Marion's surviving siblings are Emeline (Zagzebski) Martinez of Flagstaff, AZ and Arthur Zagzebski of Stevens Point, WI. She married Paul J. Pasternacki on June 6, 1946. Paul preceded her in death in 2011.

Marion is survived by her 5 children: Linda Pasternacki of Albuquerque NM, JoAnn Fitzgerald (Bill) of Campbell, CA, Jacque Pasternacki (Dawn) of Albuquerque NM, Mary Pasternacki (Stuart Tuttle) of Flagstaff, AZ and John Pasternacki of Camp Verde, AZ. She is also survived by 7 loving grandchildren who gathered around her bedside in the weeks prior to her death: Sam (Barbara) Pasternacki, Dan (Ying) Pasternacki, Rachel (Robert) deJong, Brett Tarr, Kevin (Lori) Tarr, Chase (Nicole) Pasternacki, and Sage Pasternacki. She was great grandmother to Elizabeth Grace Pasternacki, Gwendolyn Pasternacki and Aiden Pasternacki.

Marion was raised on a dairy farm near Stevens Point, WI. She graduated from St. Joseph's School of Nursing in Marshfield, WI in 1942. She completed graduate studies at Marquette University and University of Wisconsin Madison. Her long career as a Registered Nurse included director and instructor of Obstetrics in San Francisco, CA and Marshfield, WI. She was a Public Health Nurse in Carlsbad, NM and RN night hospital supervisor at the Flagstaff, AZ hospital. She worked as an RN as she, Paul, and her growing family resided in 12 homes in 7different states. The capstone of her career was as a School Nurse in Clovis, NM where she touched the lives of many school children in Clovis, Melrose, Texaco, and Grady, NM. She was active in the local and state New Mexico Nurses Association. She was a proud advocate for all nurses and vehemently promoted nursing education. She was honored for her cumulative nursing contributions in 2009 with an Excellence Award and acknowledged as a "New Mexico Nursing Legend".

Marion was most proud of her children who all became professionals in the medical field: Linda and JoAnn as Registered Nurses, Mary as a Nurse Practitioner, and Jack as a Physician's Assistant. She fought proudly for the rights of the mentally handicapped in a time when they had neither rights nor advocates. She was a founding member and active participant at the local and state Association of Retarded Citizens, commencing in 1964 with the birth of her son, John.

For over 50 years Marion and Paul were members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Clovis NM. Marion taught bible classes and ministered to the elderly and ill. She joined Plains Regional Medical Center Auxiliary in 1985 and logged over 13,000 hours of volunteer service and held several offices. She was an energetic participant in many Clovis community service activities including Boy and Girl Scouts, 4-H, Special Olympics and "Meals on Wheels". Marion and Paul moved to Flagstaff to reside at "The Peaks" for their final 8 years of life under the watchful care of their loving daughter, Mary.

Private burial at Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Santa Fe, NM.
Memorial mass in Flagstaff, AZ at 8:15am on Tuesday, Sept 29,2015 at Nativity Catholic Church.
Memorial Mass in Clovis, NM at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Thursday, October 15, 2015 at 7am.
Donations in her name may be made to John's residence: Rainbow Acres in Camp Verde, AZ.