Marjorie Roddy Sanger

Marjorie Roddy Sanger was born November 25, 1918, on the first Thanksgiving Day after the end of the First World War. Her long and eventful life was shaped by Waco, just as Waco was shaped by Marjorie. Hers was a life that spanned the Great Depression, the Second World War, the post-war 50s and 60s in small-town America, the civil rights movement, the self-actualization of the 70’s and 80’s, the new Millennium, and the development of almost all the technology now in everyday use. It’s incredible to imagine how dramatically Marjorie Sanger’s world changed over her lifetime.

Marjorie grew up in Cameron Park (back when you could still ride horses there). As a young woman, she claimed that she wanted to follow in her dad‘s footsteps and become a family doctor. She was not encouraged to do so, but her brother was. Her family fondly called her Dr. Malpractice, given how much free medical advice she dispensed anyway.

Marjorie graduated from Waco High, followed by Baylor University where she was a ‘Sweetheart,’ yet at a time when none of her classmates were Jewish. She was a “boomerang,” coming back as fast as she could to Waco every time she went away. No matter how far away, she was always ready to be home. She took care of people, a lot of people, for many decades. The longest service was to her brother, Bill, in his words, for “a hundred years.” She outlived her husband, Philip Sanger, by almost seventy years. Four other partners/companions enriched her life over the years: two doctors, a dentist and a Rabbi (her ‘Holy Man’ as she called him). Marjorie said it sounded like the first line of a joke – “A doctor, a dentist and a Rabbi walked into a bar … “

Marjorie was a profoundly loyal friend, an entertainer, and a lover of the spotlight. She could finish the Sunday New York Times Crossword puzzle, take care to reach out to someone who needed a hand, entertain a room full of admirers, drink to your health with cheap wine on ice, and smoke a mean turkey in a Texas BBQ drum all at the same time.

Marjorie served on many boards Including the Waco Symphony, the Texas Speech Language Pathology Board, the Rodef Shalom Sisterhood, and the Waco Chapter of American Civil Liberties Union. She was the Treasurer for the Waco Heart Association for decades. She cooked for Meals on Wheels for over 20 years, changing their recipes to exclude sugar and salt.

Marjorie and her friends had a club euphemistically called the ‘sewing club,’ which was really a social wine club. No stitches other than laughter were involved. She had six lifelong girlfriends from elementary school days, and a very large social group of dear friends. Marjorie was a devoted friend, an intellectual, an adopter of stray people and animals, and the beloved matriarch of an extended family that included non-blood relatives! Her legacy is how she touched lives and how those in turn touched others. Neither time nor death erases that.

She lived through world events that we only read about in history books. She became very concerned in her later years about the future of the United States, given the prevalence of misinformation and lack of critical thinking.

She was a larger-than-life vocal personality with a strong moral compass. When presented with life challenges, she met them with honesty and integrity.

She is survived by her three children and their spouses, her six grandchildren, five great grandchildren and lots of friends.

Marjorie requested no funeral service. Her family thanks all her fabulous caregivers over the past few years. Marjorie also requested that donations be made, if you like, to some of the causes she held dear: Waco Family Medicine Clinic, Planned Parenthood of Waco, the ABC Clinic of Waco, or the Waco Humane Society.

She had a good run!

She will be greatly missed by the many who loved her, as she missed all her dear friends she outlived. In lieu of an in-person celebration of life, here is the one her grandson made for her online: http://marjoriesanger.com .

The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our "Tribute Wall" at www.WHBfamily.com