Cover photo for Marilou Clendenen's Obituary
Marilou Clendenen Profile Photo

Marilou Clendenen

d. May 6, 2024

Marilou Clendenen, longtime Boulder resident, died May 6 at age 96. She was in her home, with family, which was her greatest remaining wish. 

She was born and grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a city she dearly loved but left in 1952 at the time of her marriage to Robert (Robb) Clendenen. During his military duty and student years they lived first in Arizona, where daughters Kathleen and Kerry were born, then in 1960 moved to Boulder, where son Christopher was born. 

She and Robb divorced in 1969 and she reluctantly added a full-time job at CU to her full-time job as a single parent. She continued raising her three children with great love and humor, providing for them a stable environment that was - although financially strapped - filled with an appreciation for the cultural arts as well as down-to-earth common sense.

After retirement she enjoyed nearly fifteen years of good health doing the things she loved most: reading, talking, laughing, baking & cooking, writing letters, listening to music, getting scratched & dirty working in the yard, and celebrating Christmas for as many weeks as she wanted (generally until Valentine’s Day).

Unfortunately in her mid-seventies she was struck with PMR/GCA, a recurring duo of inflammatory illnesses. The symptoms and the treatment for these, further complicated by an old head injury, took a heavy toll on her physical and mental health over the following decades. The past year, and especially the last few months, were increasingly difficult and demoralizing. Although she never really got over being stunned and confused by her health problems, she remained uncomplaining and cooperative up to the last day.
Please join with her family in their great relief that a deserving spirit has finally been released. 

Special thanks to the nurses at Craft Home Health, and much gratitude to Dr. Christopher Trojanovich and his team, who went above and beyond in their efforts to help Marilou remain at home. 

At her request there will be no services. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Marilou Clendenen, please visit our flower store.

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