Urilyus Marvene Sullivan-Talley was born Oct. 30, 1934 in Yakima and passed away March 16, 2007 at Careage of Whidbey in Coupeville.

Born to a single mother, Betty G. Berg, she was raised by her grandparents, Hank and Lula Berg of Yakima, where she spent her childhood and teenage years. When she was 16 she moved to Seattle to be with her mother, stepfather and two sisters.

Marvene worked at the Cedar Green Frozen Food Cannery and completed a modeling course in May of 1953. Later that year she made a trip to Whidbey Island to visit family before she was off to Portland, Ore., to start her modeling career.

Marvene met Thomas Michael Sullivan of Coupeville and was married in January of 1954. They made their home in Coupeville on the Sullivan Farm where they had three sons: Michael Edward Sullivan, born Dec. 19, 1954, who died in infancy Dec. 21, 1954; April 17, 1956 Edward Michael Sullivan joined the family; and on July 18, 1960 David D’Wayne Sullivan completed their family.

Marvene joined the Polly Harpo Hospital Guild in 1957 to help raise funds for the new hospital. She remained a member until 1962. She was also busy with the Cub Scouts where she was a Den Mother and later she was active with the Boy Scouts.

In 1971 Marvene went to work for the Navy Exchange Shipping and Receiving Warehouse at NAS Whidbey Seaplane Base. She worked there until 1978. She met her current husband, Russell G. Talley, who was stationed at Ault Field in the U.S. Navy in 1976. In 1978 Russ and Marvene went to Chula Vista where he was stationed at NAS North Island. She went to work at the Navy Exchange warehouse at NAS North Island as a supervisor.

On May 25, 1980 Marvene and Russ were married in Las Vegas with Russ’s family in attendance. Russ retired from the Navy in November of 1980 and they moved to Tri-Cities where Russ was employed at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

The marriage to Russ gave Marvene two stepdaughters, Linda Deeann and Debra Lynn, Russ’s daughters. In 1999 the family moved back to Whidbey Island to their present home.

Marvene has three sisters and one brother: Valeria Jean Roberts, who preceded her in death in 2002, Dorothy Lee George of Kettle Falls, Therese Marie Hale of Tacoma, and John Garrett Rothschild of Las Vegas. Marvene and Russ have five grandchildren and two great grandchildren between them.

Marvene was an active member of Emblem Club 450 in Oak Harbor. She enjoyed campouts with the Whidbey Travelers, which is an RV Club of the Elks. Her hobbies were collecting salt and peppershakers and genealogy.

Visitation for Marvene will be held Thursday, March 22, from noon to 5 p.m. and Friday, March 23, from 9 a.m. until noon at Burley Funeral Chapel, with a funeral service and celebration of life to follow at 1 p.m. at Burley Funeral Chapel in Oak Harbor.

The family suggests that, in lieu of flowers, friends may want to make donations to the American Diabetes Association in Marvene’s name.