Marvis Sewell Eldridge

Marvis Sewell Eldridge 1930-2023

Marvis was born Marvis Kathryn Sewell on November 6th, 1930 in Redlands, California and died peacefully on September 1st 2023 in San Jose at age 92. Her parents, William Martin Sewell and Ruth Christine Lavender Sewell, raised Marvis and her sister Melba in Beaumont, California. She left southern California and headed to college in San Jose to study Occupational Therapy where she met her husband, Donald Eldridge. They married October 4th, 1952 and raised their children in Cupertino, California where she lived from 1953 to 2023.

She was active at West Valley Presbyterian Church in San Jose, where she was a charter member and the volunteer pianist/organist for 47 years. Marvis was the crafts director at their church camp for many years, and sent the children home with yarn God’s Eyes, Resin wildflower paper weights, lanyards and nature blueprints. One of her memorable craft projects was creating ABC Christmas books with her friends at West Valley after retirement. 

Marvis returned to school in 1970 and received her degree to teach physically disabled children. She retired from the Santa Clara County School District in 1993.

She is survived by her sister, Melba Bouquet; daughter Linda Dickson; sons Clifford (Andrea) Eldridge and Steven (Brenda) Eldridge; grandchildren Leland, Jeremy, Sarah, Toy, Jordan, DeAngelo, Lisa, Daniel, Steven, David and Jonathan; and great-grandchildren Madison, Bryden, Lilly, Cayden, Declan and Clayton, Kenyon, Malachi, Alejah and Sunjay. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Don, her daughter Rosalia, and Linda’s husband Bill.

Marvis was generous with her time and resources and supported many causes of varying interests.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.

A memorial service to honor Marvis will be held at West Valley Presbyterian Church in Cupertino at 10am on October 21, 2023.