Marilynne Aloha Manguba

Marilynne Manguba, 70, of Idaho Falls, passed away January 8, 2023, at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC). Marilynne (M-squared or M2 to many people) was diagnosed with angio sarcoma cancer in late February of 2022. Under the care of the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) in Salt Lake City, UT, she underwent an aggressive chemo therapy treatment campaign during the spring and summer months of 2022. In August, she endured an aggressive radiation treatment program also under the care of HCI. While significant progress was made reducing the tumor size, surgery was not an option. Instead, M2 continued on a treatment plan consisting of a directed therapy drug. All apparently was going well until shortly after Christmas 2022 when she became anemic. More than a week of heroic efforts by EIRMC and HCI personnel were not successful in discovering and dealing with the root cause of the anemia. Sadly, at that point additional scans indicated the presence of terminal brain cancer and she entered Hospice care on January 6. Throughout this ordeal, her attitude and approach was nothing short of magnificent. Never once was there a complaint other than the occasional comment about ‘hospital food.’ Exactly what those who knew her well would have expected.

Marilynne was born November 3, 1952, in Miami, Florida, to Jose “Jesse” Manguba and Hilda Lowe Manguba. She grew up and attended schools in the Miami area. As a child, Marilynne played the violin, read science fiction, and began her fierce independent spirit and private approach to life. During these years she became a highly skilled seamstress creating suits, bathing suits, dresses, and other sophisticated things and garments. She was an accomplished student (self admitted nerd) and graduated from North Miami Senior High School with high honors. After high school graduation in 1972, Marilynne moved to Evanston, IL, to attend Northwestern University on a full academic scholarship. For the next 17 years she went to school or worked various jobs in the Evanston and Chicago area. These jobs included working as the Secretary of the Evanston Chamber of Commerce, being the project secretary for the Materials Science Department at Northwestern University, and being part-time secretary for the Chicago Council of Lawyers and working part-time for the IL Council on Long Term Care.

Her passion for dogs began as a child in North Miami, FL, where she lived until she went off to college. Her dog training career began while living and working in Chicago and attending Northwestern University. She often spoke fondly of those heady times. She particularly enjoyed working as the secretary in the Materials Science Department at Northwestern. For whatever reason, in this capacity, she had opportunity to learn a good bit of Russian and develop excellent technical editing skills. She also had opportunity to foster many animals (dogs and cats) while pursuing and perfecting her life long passion for animal training.

While attending Northwestern, Marilynne met and developed a relationship with Charles Sellars, a materials science student. Charles graduated in about 1987 and together they moved to Idaho Falls in about 1988 where Charles had secured a job at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Although she did not finish her college degree, Marilynne soon secured a job at the Idaho National Laboratory working in the environmental science area. She always joked that she was on a slow north by northwest progression away from FL. I suspect Alaska was her desired final destination but this is unclear. While working at the INL she continued her education by taking graduate level classes from both University of Idaho and Idaho State University in areas related to Geographic Information Systems, Applied Ecology, Environmental Modeling, and Environmental Studies. These endeavors clearly helped prepare her for her future dream job.

Marilynne and Charlie went their separate ways in the late 1990s. Marilynne’s dream came true in the mid 2000s when she secured employment with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in a capacity that allowed her to put the educational efforts and work experience at the INL to additional good use. She became responsible for the South Fork Tent Camp, a pristine location (and one of her favorite places) on the South Fork River owned and used by TNC to entertain potential donors, she got thoroughly involved in all aspects of TNC efforts to seek out and secure land easements for the benefit of wildlife migration, she became involved in Geographical Information System applications to benefit TNC activities, and much more. For the most part she was thoroughly tickled with her job.

On July 16, 2005, she married Thomas Larson in the backyard of her precious Old Butte Road acreage in Idaho Falls, ID. Marilynne and Tom made their home in Idaho Falls, ID, where Marilynne continued to work as a Protection Specialist in Natural Resources Management for The Nature Conservancy. Many people asked them how they met. Neither could remember for sure but they agreed that their paths likely crossed because of Idaho Falls Zoo activities, Idaho Falls Beer Club activities, some fund raiser or other, or maybe something else. It is a mystery. She was an active member of the Upper Snake River Dog Club. She helped organize many obedience trials, tracking dog testing activities, and taught obedience classes. For some years she was into goat packing and maintained goats and pack equipment. She was active in, and promoted, the beer club and the wine club when they existed. She enjoyed and was especially proud of her downtown Idaho Falls shop MarCellar’s Vintage Wines and Brews.

As I hope is evident from the description above, Marilynne was extremely curious and involved in a great number of areas over the course of her life. Indeed there was all types of outdoor activity including X-country skiing, camping, hiking, snow shoeing, bicycling, gardening, being the group organizer for these types of activities, volunteering for whatever needed to be done, etc. She especially enjoyed bird watching, helping with bat counting excursions, and, in particular, taking people out to view sage grouse doing their mating rituals. I recall being surprised recently when asked if she still did a lot of sewing. My reaction was I didn’t realize that she ever did much sewing. Then I realized that was how she was about a lot of things, ‘been there, done that’ time to try something else. That said, a couple of interests that remained strong forever were her love of reading (several books per week and not all science fiction), her love of and passion for animals (dogs and cats in particular), and her love of nature. Marilynne and her niece, Jocelyn, had the opportunity to attend a national dog show in Orlando, FL, a few years ago. Jocelyn remarked that she has awesome memories of spending the day with her, sharing her passion for the show dogs and the competition, and that she learned there is immense value and power in the simple act of being physically present with someone like Marilynne. Indeed, she was a powerful, interesting, opinionated, well read, usually quiet (but not always), and extremely private person.

Marilynne is survived by her loving husband, Thomas Larson (71) of Idaho Falls, ID; brother Thomas Clarke (74) (Helen) of Oviedo, FL; brother Ronald Manguba (66) of Pampano Beach, FL; niece Jocelyn Clarke (46) of Oviedo, FL; niece Rebecca Duvor (43) of Oviedo, FL; and many pets.

She was preceded in death by her father Jesse, mother Hilda, and many pets.

No services will be held at this time. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.