Ethel Marian Todd was born in Pecos, TX to Charles Judson Todd and Loraine McGarry on April 18th, 1931, and passed away in Denton, TX on July 1st, 2025 at the age of 94.

Marian grew up in Clovis, N.M. where she graduated from Clovis High School in 1949. She then went on to attend Abilene Christian College, where she graduated (in only 3 ½ years) with a degree in Elementary Education in 1953. She went on to receive her master's degree in education from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona in 1972.

On January 1st, 1953, she married James Grady Stegall who served in the US Navy based out of Portsmouth, Virginia. In November of 1956, upon Jim's discharge from active duty in the Navy, they traveled cross country with their 18 month and 3-month-old sons to accept a job offer from Motorola in a newly constructed facility in Scottsdale, Arizona sight unseen. Together they raised four sons. In 1973 they moved to Plano, Texas. She and Jim divorced in 1975.

Marian had a long career as an elementary school teacher who specialized in remedial math and reading instruction. She taught school briefly in New Mexico, Portsmouth, and Phoenix, but spent the majority of her career in Plano, Texas schools before retiring in the early 1980's. Marian was a tireless Sunday school teacher and lifelong member of the Churches of Christ wherever she lived. She loved the satisfaction of helping turn low grade students into more successful students. Her love of God and strong work ethic were the hallmarks of her personal and work life. Marian had a lifelong passion for Abilene Christian University as her family's first graduate and her love for the school has been carried on through multiple generations to follow. She also loved Lubbock Christian University and supported them financially as well.

On July 1st,1978 she married James Patton (47 years exactly). They lived in Plano and Richardson Texas where he worked as an engineer and Marian continued her career as an elementary school teacher. They retired and moved to Carlsbad, New Mexico where they led an active life with the Sunset Church of Christ and friends in a retirement subdivision on the Pecos River, which was originally developed by her grandparents in the 1940's. Marian enjoyed "sleeping in and playing 42" with church friends. One year, they signed up as crew members and traveled around the world on a cruise ship, their trip of a lifetime.

She is survived by her sons Scott Stegall (Janna), Mark Stegall (Teresa), Penn Stegall (Deby); stepsons William Patton II (Lynette), Mark Patton (Jana) and James Patton (Ginnie), and stepdaughter Betty Lawson (Greg), 19 grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren