Marlene Elsie Newby was born on September 3, 1933 to Tressa and Leslie Thompson. Marlene was born in Los Angeles, California but grew up in Seattle, Washington. Her mother divorced Leslie when Marlene was very young and married Mitch Mondala when Marlene was seven years old. Mitch and Tressa had three children: Victoria, Nancy and Michael. Marlene recently recalled that Mitch treated her as one of his own children and worked to cultivate and support her interests.

Marlene met her future husband, John Reid Newby, while working with him as a medical photography intern at the Virginia Mason Clinic. They married on June 19, 1957. Their first child, Nancy, was born on June 6, 1958. Patrick was born on October 8, 1960 and Teresa was born on September 8, 1963. The family bought a house overlooking Lake Washington - not far from Marlene's childhood home. The Newbys regularly visited Marlene's relatives. They also enjoyed many trips especially to the Olympic Peninsula and Birch Bay (north of Bellingham). Marlene worked to foster the growth of her young children and taught catechism classes at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church.

In 1967, the Newbys moved to Bozeman, Montana. During her time in Montana, Marlene discovered her love for the outdoors, ghost towns and making crafts to sell and the Gifts of the West store. She regularly skied with her family at Bridger Bowl. During the summer, the family enjoyed camping trips to various parts of western Montana and to Yellowstone National Park. In 1968, Marlene went to work as a histologist at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital and enjoyed that work.

During 1971, the family moved to Des Moines, Iowa. The decision to leave Bozeman was difficult but was borne of economic necessity. Marlene adjusted to Iowa well. As with everywhere she went, Marlene made a number of strong friendships in Des Moines. She obtained employment as a histologist at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines. While working full time and caring for her family, Marlene attended school at Iowa State University to obtain her associates degree for cytology. Upon completing her degree, she moved into a position as a cytologist at Broadlawns. During her time in Des Moines, Marlene and her family enjoyed visits with her sister Nancy. Nancy lived with her family in nearby Omaha, Nebraska.

The family moved to Long Beach, California in 1976. Her time in Long Beach is perhaps best described as one of transition. She and John legally separated in 1981. Marlene also pursued a new career path. She found that work in the medical field did not satisfy her social nature and desire to help others. In 1983 (at age 50) she enrolled at California State University Long Beach to pursue a bachelor's degree in a relatively new field termed recreation therapy. Her focus was on recreational therapy for the elderly.

Upon completing her degree, Marlene moved with her then significant other, Mike Atkinson, to Vashon, Washington. During the same timeframe, Marlene's former husband John (who she maintained an amiable relationship with) and their daughters also moved back to the Seattle area. Son Patrick moved back to Montana.

In 1989 Marlene initiated a small adult day care program called Time Out. It was located at the Lutheran Church with only three participants and two volunteers. The program grew and became certified and supported by the State of Washington. Marlene eventually received a State of Washington Governor's award for her pioneering work in helping to introduce a new elder care approach to the area. The program moved to Vashon Community Care Center in 2001. Marlene stayed on until her retirement, at the age of 74, in 2008.

Marlene's favorite pastimes and interests are varied and many. She loved visiting with her many friends, reading (voraciously), doing all types of puzzles, PBS (Downton Abbey, Doc Martin), going to plays and movies, and listening to classical, jazz and current music. Marlene had a sweet spot for animals. During the past 20 years she rescued and cared for countless stray cats. Sweet Pea, Marlene's last cat, passed away at age 20 shortly before Marlene. Marlene enjoyed keeping current with the news, loved fashion and design, and adored her monthly book club. She was also very active in her community. She enjoyed volunteering with many different organizations such as the Soroptimists, Vashon Island Pet Protectors, various political causes, Breast Cancer awareness groups and political campaigns. She was tireless.

Marlene suffered a stroke on June 27, 2012. She passed away with her children by her side on January 7, 2013 due to complications of the stroke. Marlene is survived by her sisters Victoria Mondala and Nancy Kroeger, daughters Nancy and Teresa Newby, son Patrick Newby, sister-in-law Linda Lee Black, and nephews Todd and Chad Kroeger and Courtney and Stacey Bales. She was preceded in death by her stepfather Mitch, mother Tressa, brother Michael and former husband John.