Marjory R. Stage

Marjory Roller Stage passed away Thursday, July 21, 2022, at the age of 92 at home in her own bed looking out her own window which was how she wanted to go. She was born in Akron, Ohio to Winfield and Edna Roller on February 26, 1930. Winnie from Colorado and Edna from eastern Pennsylvania met in Akron as part of one of the largest gathering of the deaf from all parts of the country, encouraged to come work in the rubber factories. 

Marjory graduated high school in 1947, advanced to Akron University for two years, transferred to Oberlin College for a BA degree, and then to the University of Michigan for her MS, where she met Albert Stage. After their graduations, Albert served two years in the Korean War, and Marjory taught Physical Education to grades 1 - 12 in St. Clair, Michigan and in the Health Education Department of the YWCA in Akron.   

They married in 1954. Albert was hired by the U.S. Forest Service to work as superintendent of the Priest River Experimental Station in Idaho for two years. Daughter Helen was born there. Albert was transferred to the Experiment Station in Spokane where sons, Winfield and Morgan were born. While in Spokane, Marjory became Health Education Director at the Spokane YWCA and was active in Spokane’s synchronized swimming program. After a short residence in Ann Arbor, the family moved in 1962 to Moscow. In December, Ben was born.

Marjory loved games of all types, whether board or card games, or sports. She taught Physical Education at Moscow Junior High and coached Junior High and High School gymnastics teams, taking “her girls” as she referred to them to state competitions in Boise multiple years and winning a state title in 1973. She retired from teaching and judging competitions in 1977 to enjoy tennis, playing multiple days per week with friends, and lap swimming. In later years, her group of friends got together weekly to play games.

Marjory also loved nature and the out-of-doors. She served three years as Camp Director at the Campfire Day Camp at Idler's Rest where she introduced many Moscow-area girls to the joys of nature. In 1963, she and Albert purchased 80 acres on Moscow Mountain, later building their dream home in the forest, where she enjoyed tending her vegetable garden, horseback riding, snowshoeing and skiing up the mountain. She was an astute observer of the flora and fauna, studying mushrooms, moths, “critters” and native plants, imparting her knowledge to her grandchildren when they visited for a week of Camp Gramma each summer. She and Albert travelled extensively and were active in AFS student exchange programs hosting a Chilean boy for a year. Each summer, Marjory would either travel with her children to visit her sister Nelle in Florida or her sister with her children would travel to visit in Moscow, keeping the cousins connected despite living on opposite ends of the country.

She leaves behind a daughter, Helen Stroebel (Greg Unruh), son, Morgan Stage (Deb); grandsons Landon Stroebel (Chelsea Weenink) and Kyle Unruh (Marisa Hadley); granddaughters Teal Stage (Justin Saffian) and Jennifer Unruh (Luis Rampolla-Rios); great grandchildren Hunter Benjamin Saffian, Dallas Rhode Saffian, and Jackson Eugene Stroebel. Preceding her in death were her parents; sister, Nelle Anderson; husband, Albert; son, Winfield, and son, Ben. The family is grateful to her loving caregiver, Evah, and the staff of St. Joseph Family Hospice for enabling them to honor Marjory’s wish to remain in her own home. There will be no funeral service, according to her wishes. Gifts in her memory may be made to the Palouse Land Trust, the Idaho Native Plant Society or Sojourner’s Alliance.

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