Marjorie Josephine (Brokes) Coufal
Four days after her 85th birthday, our mother quietly slipped away. We will miss her constant and loving presence, but we are grateful that she is at peace. We will miss her constant and loving presence, but we are grateful that she is at peace.
Marjorie was married to Frank Henry Coufal Jr. for 45 years until his death in 2004. She is the mother of two sons, Frank Jeffrey of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. and Christopher Joseph of Orinda, Calif. and their spouses Sandra Isern and Teresa Anthenien. She is the grandmother of six: Mark Christopher, Frank Henry III, Nicholas Joseph, Matthew Joseph, Sarah Katherine and Christian Michael.
Born in Wilson, Kan. to Joseph Anthony Brokes and his wife Rose Marie Kroft, Marjorie was their youngest child. Her oldest sister, Rosemary, and her husband, Benny Martin, predeceased her, and her middle sister, Joan, and her husband, Robert Malir, reside in Wilson. Marjorie shared close relationships with their children and grandchildren.
Marjorie lived her childhood on a farm in Wilson. Until 7th grade she attended Blood Creek, a one room school house where she was the only student in her class. During this time, she loved singing, playing the piano and painting. She attended Wilson High School and Kansas University where she earned her RN degree.
As a new nurse, Marjorie moved to Dallas, Texas and worked at Baylor University Medical Center where she met a young anesthesia intern, Frank. They married in 1959 and built their first home in the Lakewood neighborhood, joyfully raising her sons. One of her proudest moments was attending both their medical school graduations.
Throughout her life she was an active member in the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic community. Her sons attended St. Thomas Aquinas Grammar School and Jesuit College Prep, and Marjorie was active in both school communities. She was also a member of the Dallas Opera Guild and the Dallas Museum of Art.
Artistic and creative, Marjorie began to take art classes as she approached empty nest. She participated in art shows and donated paintings to various auctions including Jesuit and Ursuline Academy where her art is still on display. She also painted for family and friends, giving each of her grandchildren a painting before she died. Christmas was her favorite holiday, and every year she made elaborate gingerbread houses including a castle, tree house and mountain chalet. Each of her grandchildren has beautiful handmade stockings. She was known for her elaborate birthday cakes carved into a fire engine, a carousel, and a circus.
Marjorie and her family travelled the world to Europe, the Caribbean, South America, Asia and Australia. In her later years she enjoyed a trip to Tuscany with friends, Ireland with her sister Rosemary and the Czech Republic with her sister, Joan. A favorite was going to Wimbledon with her son Frank.
In 2003, she moved with her ill husband to Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. near San Diego to be closer to her son, Frank. After her spouse died, she moved back to Dallas. She leaves behind an enduring community of friends that enriched her life. She especially enjoyed her prayer group, Jolly Thursday and meeting for a walk, movie, lunch or coffee.
Four years ago she moved back to the San Francisco Bay area to be closer to her son, Chris. She loved her home in Rossmoor at the edge of the golf course, gazing at the deer and Canadian geese, reading mystery novels or watching a good movie.
In the fall of 2017, Marjorie was diagnosed with ALS. Even when she could no longer speak or walk, she faced her disease with grace. Her family and friends will miss her conversations, her open and young mind, her sense of humor and her unwavering support. She was a person of great inner strength. Her children and grandchildren were the center of her life, and she treasured family gatherings. She loved her home and in the presence of family died there.
A Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated at Calvary Hill Catholic Cemetery, 3235 Lombardy Lane, Dallas, Texas.
