Marcia Suzanne Dennis

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Marcia's greatest passion was always her family.

Our beloved mother, Marcia Suzanne Dennis, passed away on May 30, 2026 at the age of 87 and will be sorely missed by all those who knew and loved her.  Marcia lived a full and rich life.  

Born in 1939 to Lloyd and Margaret Mead in Portland Oregon.  Marcia's mother was an owner and operator, along with her sisters, of the former Broadmoor Golf Course in Northeast Portland.  Her father served as the head pro for the golf course for a number of years.  With the start of WWII, her father, Lloyd, moved the family to Virginia where he served as a military recruiter during the early years of the war.  The family then moved back to Portland for a number of years, before moving to Seaside where her parents owned the local bowling alley.  Marcia and her parents then eventually moved back to Portland for good.  

Marcia attended Grant High School where she met and eventually married her first husband, Don Nash.  She and Don had four children, Bill, Jon, Ken, and Marya.  After divorcing Don, Marcia, met her long time husband Jim Dennis.  Together they had a fifth child, David.  Marcia and Jim lived in Milwaukie, Oregon for the first few years of their marriage and then moved to Twin Rocks, Oregon where they served as assistant managers of Camp Magruder Methodist Church Camp.  

After two years at the coast, Marcia and Jim moved their family of five to Northeast Portland's Hollywood District where they purchased a turn of the century four story Victorian home that would become the family's home for the next fifty years.  Marcia worked as a homemaker for the next ten years raising her five children, devoting herself to her family.

In the early 1980's, Marcia and Jim purchased a small Deli in Portland, The Cracker Box Deli, and turned it into a thriving lunch spot for the local residents and businesses.  They expanded the business to included catering for lunch events, parties, weddings, and more.  The Deli was a dream come true for Marcia, who loved to cook and prided herself on the homemade soups, salads, desserts, and sandwiches.  

Marcia and Jim retired after twenty years of running the deli, turning it over to her daughter Marya and her husband Ron.  Retirement allowed them the freedom to travel and explore lifelong hobbies.  Marcia's sense of adventure was rooted in traveling.  She and Jim took numerous trips to Hawaii along with Mexican, Caribbean, and Alaskan cruises as well as the love they shared for exploring the Northwest.  Marcia and Jim also owned a vacation home in Rockaway for many years that served as their escape from the city.  Marcia lost the love of her life, Jim, in 2007.

Marcia's interests included being a collector of everything.  Her collections, to name just a few, included dishes, antiques, vintage furniture, Jim Shore figurines, and hundreds of Christmas carolers.  Her favorite hobby, however, was her love for dolls and her immense doll collection that took over many rooms in her large home.  Marcia served as the President of the Portland Doll Club for several years and would attend numerous conferences around the country.  

Marcia's greatest passion was always her family. Being an only child, she always wanted a big family for herself and she never backed down from the challenges, chaos, and craziness that comes with having five children. She was never more happy then when she had her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren around her.  We take solace in the fact that she was surrounded by her whole family when she passed away just as she would have wanted and knowing that she will live on in our hearts forever.

A private graveside service was held with her immediate family on June 18th, 2026 at Rose City Cemetery and Funeral Home.