Obituary for Marilynn Jean Balch

Marilynn Jean Balch
June 26, 1931 – June 13, 2023

Marilynn Jean (Dittbrenner) Balch was born June 26, 1931 in Seattle Washington to Oscar Dittbrenner and Elizabeth (Palmer) Dittbrenner. After several moves, they settled in San Francisco, California where Marilynn graduated from high school.
She then entered the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael Convent in San Rafael, California where she would serve as a sister providing services in the health and education fields for the next 30 years. After teaching school for a number of years she elected to enter a nursing program and became a Registered Nurse. She was assigned to St. Josephs Hospital in Stockton, California. She became skilled at electrocardiography, and was enlisted by the University of Pacific Pharmacy to teach the skill in the Pharmacy Doctorate program. This association with University of Pacific led to her earning a Masters Degree in Sociology, all the while continuing her executive supervisory position at St. Josephs Hospital.
In 1978 she was asked by Dr. Richard Balch to assist him in caring for his dying wife, Mary Jo, and her skill in doing so greatly eased Mary Jo’s suffering with metastasized breast cancer. Marilynn and Richard had been colleagues at St Josephs Hospital for many years. It also established her as an important member of the Balch family. After a couple of years, she was granted a dispensation from her vows, but remained a devout member of the Catholic Church. She then married Richard Balch.
In 1990 Richard and Marilynn Balch retired and they moved to The Sea Ranch, California and became involved in its many activities and traveled, both domestic and foreign. She donated her time with Good Buy Clothes in Point Arena, California, and the many activities of Church of the Mary Star of the Sea, Gualala, California. They were avid backpackers, hikers, loved nature, supported land conservation and the environment.
About 2015 she began having difficulty reading, became forgetful and her wandering eventually required institutional care. She has been a resident of Primrose Memory Care, Santa Rosa, California for the past six years. The Balch family would like to express their deep appreciation to all the Primrose staff for their wonderful care, professionalism, and experience. They treated her with kindness, patience and love.
Marilynn is survived by her step daughter, Susan Harrington of Aptos, CA, step sons Steven Balch of The Sea Ranch, CA, Daniel Balch of Colorado Springs, CO, James Balch of Boise, Idaho, niece Barbara Wilcox of Mills River, NC, nephew Peter Wilcox of Hampshire, IL, 10 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred to Anchor Health and Hospice, Santa Rosa, California. Private family services will be held at a later date.