Maryanna Meyer Ware, known to her friends and family as “Monk,” was a resident of Evergreen since 1961. She and her husband, Tom, lived on Evergreen Lake, raised their daughters Catey and Laura here, and have been vital contributors to the community over the past 47 years. Maryanna passed away on Thursday, April 3, after an amazing life. Her family and friends have been an integral, significant part of her life. She was born in Jefferson City, Mo., on April 15, 1928. She shared with family her pride in knowing that her father, Alexander Meyer, an attorney who served as a state attorney general and taught at the University of Missouri, and that he tried a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Her mother, Laurine Haldiman, was a concert pianist trained at the Chicago Conservatory of Music. She and her sisters, Connie and Alexandra, were raised in Kansas City. Maryanna was valedictorian of her class at Southwest High School in Kansas City, received one of the country’s top scholarships, and then attended Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. To be closer to family and to pursue her degree in journalism, Maryanna returned to the University of Missouri for her sophomore through senior years, where she proved herself to be a premier student. While there, she became a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and met and fell in love with Tom, a Kappa Sigma; they were married in 1951. Maryanna followed Tom, a geologist, to the oil fields of Wyoming and Oklahoma, until Tom was drafted into the armed forces and was stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco. Maryanna worked in the advertising department of a major department store and joyously rode the cable car to work every day. Traveling on a tramp steamer, dining with the captain and a few other passengers, she accompanied Tom to Tokyo when he was assigned to create Army maps there. The couple lived a “wonderful life” and experienced a world of emerging cultures, and she taught conversational English to Japanese university students. Upon returning to the U.S., Tom was hired as a geologist in the petroleum industry. This position took the couple to Casper, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Denver and finally to Evergreen, where Maryanna became active in the community, including the League of Women’s Voters. She served as Republican precinct committeewoman, Girl Scout leader for her daughter Laura’s troop, and as a teacher’s aide at West High School. She worked in advertising at May D&F in Denver, and ran her own promotions and public relations business. She proudly provided for 19 years public relations and fund-raising support for Forest Heights Lodge in Evergreen. In recent years, Maryanna focused on serving as editor for several publications and working for nonprofit organizations in the metro area, such as volunteering for the Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic organization in Denver, working on Democratic political campaigns, and tending to her personal interests by spending time with her daughters and grandchildren in San Francisco and Leavenworth, Wash. She was an active member of numerous book clubs, including one that focused on short stories. Maryanna was politically minded, committed to being an active participant in both local and world issues. She was trustworthy, insightful, tolerant and patient, and made everyone she met feel at ease. Maryanna believed that the gifts of nature such as the fox and elk, as well as the gorgeous Colorado sunshine, are treasures to be enjoyed each day. To that end, her plants and flowers, whether inside or out, flourished throughout the seasons. She experimented with different forms of artistic expression over the years, including photography and pottery, but her true passions were always based in her love of books, reading and writing. Maryanna was an avid student throughout her life, reading about many subjects, and was eager to discuss them with an open mind and genuinely listen to others’ opinions. She was a divine friend because of all her gifts. Maryanna enjoyed a healthy and active life until only recently, and took every opportunity to travel and explore different parts of the United States, Europe, Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and the Middle East. Her understanding of the world was one of her most wonderful qualities, and all of her family viewed her as their own “walking encyclopedia.” In addition to her husband and daughters, Maryanna is survived by her grandchildren, Jenia, Lily, Thea and Dakota; sister Connie; three brothers-in-law, four nieces and nephews, and countless friends and colleagues. A memorial will be held Saturday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Church of the Transfiguration (Episcopal) on Highway 74. The community is invited. If people are interested in supporting Maryanna’s lifelong commitment to reading, donations can be made to Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic in Denver.

Source: Canyon Courier, The (Evergreen, CO) – Wednesday, June 18, 2008