Madonna Marman

Madonna Marie Marman, 78, proud mother, grandmother, wife and friend of many passed away January 14, 2018, in Palm Desert, California due to complications from lung cancer. She was a non-smoker.

She was born November 10, 1939, to Arnold and Beulah Janecek in North Platte, Nebraska. As a girl, Madonna, and her big sister Jacque, lived on a ranch south of Maxwell, Nebraska. On May 4th, 1943, their father Arnold, a former auctioneer and cattle rancher, was struck and killed by lightning while driving his tractor.The girls and their mother then moved into the phone office in town, where Beulah worked as the operator. The family later lived in North Platte, Nebraska, where her mother married Raymond Winkler, and blessed Madonna and Jacque with baby sister, Angela.

Madonna graduated from North Platte High School in 1957, attended Midland Lutheran and Lincoln General where she studied nursing. Madonna married the handsome John Marman, worked to put him through school, and had three children before she ultimately finished with an R.N. in nursing from College of the Desert. There, the Director of Nursing office is named in her honor as a gift from her husband John, paid for with his C.O.D. Board of Trustees salary. Madonna spent the bulk of her career in the pediatric ward at JFK hospital in Indio, CA. As a dedicated and skilled nurse (she was famous for her IV’s no one else could do!), she worked nights caring for sick children, so she could be there for her own children during the day.

She was beautiful. Regularly mistaken in public as actress Angie Dickenson, or news anchor Diane Sawyer, Madonna was known for her gorgeous legs, and amazing pies! Madonna and John took hours of dance classes together, and loved to kick up their heels at Pappy and Harriet’s, and tangoed their way through Brazil and Argentina. She loved world travel, jazz, her beloved book club, and the color white! Always active, healthy and fit, Madonna and her grand dog Stewy loved walking, and were well known along El Paseo and especially at Saks. She did the best headstands in yoga class, and loved hiking, tennis, and riding her bike up and down Highway 74…crashing only once.

She was active in the C.O.D. Faculty Women’s Club, served on the board and as treasurer at the Palm Desert Historical Society, and volunteered with mini-musters for 12 years with her husband Coach John Marman.Madonna was alternately known as “Emmy”—grandmother to 5 year old Knox. He was her greatest joy, for whom she waited so long, and loved so very much.

She is survived by John Marman, her husband of 57 years and three children; daughters Sue Hanks (John), Danielle Scardino (John), son John Marman (Donna), and only grandson John Knox Marman. (Yes, that’s FIVE Johns in the family!) She will be forever missed by sisters Angela Johnson and Jacqueline Knight. She cherished her nephews Jay, Troy, and Tommy, and nieces Emily and Lexi.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Living Desert Reserve where she spent her happiest days with Knox, feeding the giraffes. A memorial was held in Palm Desert on January 18th at the home of Danielle Scardino, Madonna’s daughter, and her husband John.