Marlene grew up in Tracy, Minnesota and was a graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul, Mn. She was a grade school teacher in Minneapolis and moved to Granada Hills, CA in 1976 with her husband Richard Forstrom (who preceded her in death in 1979) and two children Angela and John.

In Granada Hills Marlene was active in the community as a soccer coach and AYSO commissioner. She also received a Master’s degree in Marriage, Family, Child Counseling and was a therapist for many years. In 1990 she married Larry Clark and they spent recent years living in Rancho Mirage, Ca, traveling throughout the United States in their RV, playing golf and hiking.