- Date Of Birth: May 21, 1933
- Date Of Death: November 16, 2016
- State: Texas
A Chinese Proverb once stated that, “A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.” The art of singing and creating music is a God-given talent that only few truly receive and expound upon. Marlys Thacker was one of music’s brightest gems; her natural talent came pure and effortlessly. Through her musical talents, her passions, and her love, many people have been impacted by her amazing solo performance throughout life.
Within the fields and meadows of Archer, Iowa on May 21, 1933, a little voice was heard making its debut into the world. Mott and Blanche Watson took turns holding and cooing to their first and only born child, little Marlys. From the very beginning, Marlys held a certain beauty in her, inside and out. Her beautiful green eyes and her captivating smile charmed everyone, but her kind heart, her thoughtful mind, and her giving nature captivated all who knew her. She loved life as a country farm girl, and from her rural life, she started having a passion for animals big and small. All the animals seemed to be just as equally charmed with Marlys as her loving family and friends. Marlys was lovingly doted upon and spoiled by her parents. Of course, she spoiled them as well with her gentle spirit, her warm hugs, and her beautiful, soothing voice. Even from an early age, Marlys sang like a lark and crooned like a nightingale. Once she won a singing contest that spanned across the entire state of Iowa; it was one of the many times her melodic voice would be broadcasted for all to hear. In 1951 at the age of 18, Marlys graduated from Archer High School along with her eight classmates. After high school, Marlys decided to develop her education and her talent for singing and enrolled in Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. In 1955, she proudly graduated from Morningside College with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. Like the wind sweeping across an Iowa field, music began to sweep Marlys to a new life full of melodies, adventures, and blessings.
As a musician once put it, “Music is the compass to the roadmap of life.” In 1956, Marlys moved to Bloomington, Minnesota close to Minneapolis. For the next twelve years, Marlys worked with churches to spread the love of music to children and youth. She directed many choir specials and Christmas programs which left both the participants and the audience warmed and soothed within their souls. She also passed on the love of music to her own four children, Mark, Steve, Dan, and Michelle. From drums, to guitar, to piano, to singing, each child had a talent for a special element of music. In 1968, Marlys moved down to Dallas, Texas where she continued to let music guide and adorn her life. Like in Bloomington, Marlys continued to teach school and church choirs and became a director of music at various locations. She taught music at Dallas ISD for sixteen years where she was adored by her students. Marlys had such a passion for music and her students that she spent countless hours with her choir students to put on programs and specials for their parents’ delight. As she wrote to her family and loved ones in during the Christmas of 1968:
“[I have been] busy as ever in music of all kinds. Last fall I became the director of music at the 1st Christian Church in Garland with two choirs. This Christmas, I’ve been doing a lot of solo work, one of the highlights was singing the “Rejoice” from The Messiah with a string orchestra at White Rock Methodist Church. I also enjoy singing under Dr. Pfautsch at SMU once a week. We gave a Christmas concert of Monteverdi, Bach, and a new work of Dr. Pfautsch’s. Thanksgiving day we were nationally televised from the Cotton Bowl for the half time game of the Dallas Cowboys.”
She also joined many clubs to sing and perform for audiences like the Kiwanis Club and the Choralier Choir. Joining and performing with the Choralier Choir for three years became one of the highlights of her life. Through this special choir, she performed across many music halls, across many states, and even across oceans. Marlys always recounted to her children and friends the time when she spent two weeks touring in Europe with the Choralier Choir. The adventure she journeyed through took her across most of Europe and exposed her to Europe’s vast historical and cultural background; however, it also exposed her to a whole new world of music. Marlys sang across many venues, including Fair Park at the Bandshell. One of these special times was on Sunday, July 9, 1972 at 7:00 in the evening where she used her beautiful soprano voice to perform for the Starlight Band Concert in Craddock Park. Conductor Lester Harris led many inspiring pieces of music, but nothing more uplifting and incredible than when Marlys Thacker took the stage and sang “As Long As He Needs Me.” The soulful song left many with a tingle down their backs and a swelling in their hearts. She later sang with Gordon Rea excerpts from South Pacific. Again, her voice within their duet blended and stood out with grace and beauty. There was never a finer talent that night than the sweet, lovely voice of Mrs. Marlys Thacker.
“Of all the music that reached farthest into heaven, it is the beating of a loving heart.” This quote by Henry Ward Beecher rang true for Marlys. Nobody could deny that Marlys had a very loving heart. She cared for the students and members of her choirs. She devoted so much of her time and energy that she seemed to give a little bit of herself to them, even when the curtains closed and performances had ended. She just had that kind of impact upon people. Her daughter recalls that Marlys never met a stranger. She was friendly to all and truly had a heart of gold. She was known to be very generous and thoughtful; even in the hospitals she attended she took the time to know each and every nurse and doctor. Marlys didn’t just know people on surface level either; she dove into knowing every detail about a person’s life, which showed that she cared whole-heartedly for them. Another sign of her affection would be her teasing nature. She loved to have fun with the people around her and get them to smile. Making other people happy and joyful was a personal mission for Marlys, whether that was through her sing-song voice or her jokes. Along with loving people, Marlys also loved life. She was an independent and active woman who loved to experience new places or new things. She also liked being pampered a bit and loved to go to the hair salon or a nail salon to receive a wave of relaxation. With her hair newly styled, her nails newly polished, and her decorative jewelry (or as her daughter laughed and put it, “her bling”), Marlys was known as “Princess Marlys;” she was truly a princess. Another love of Marlys’ was just to drive around in her car. She enjoyed the liberating feeling a car provided. One could just imagine Marlys driving down the road, singing with her lovely voice to her favorite singers like Ol’ Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra, and Judy Garland. Opera was another love of Marlys’, and she would typically go listen to a performance with her good friends or occasionally drag one of her children along. If she could have, Marlys would have loved to have taken her beloved Bichon dogs to the opera. She loved Bichon dogs and even bought many Bichon trinkets and items to decorate her house. However, her love of animals did not stop at her Bichons. Marlys supported many animal charities across the world. Animals held a special place in her heart and in her affection. She couldn’t bear to see any suffering or endangered animals. Animals were a true passion of hers.
Despite all of the many passions and loves Marlys Thacker had within her life, nothing, even music itself, was more beloved to her than her children. Marlys loved her children so dearly and so fiercely. Even through some of her proudest accomplishments like going to Europe with the Choralier Choir, directing numerous choirs, and singing at Fair park, nothing made her prouder than being a mother to Mark, Steve, Dan, and Michelle. Raising her children was Marlys’s greatest achievement. She was a hard working mother who was very devoted to her children, and her love shows through each of them today. Just as each day with her children was marked with joy, the day in which one of them was taken from her was marked with sorrow. In May of 2016, Marlys’ son, Steven, passed away in a motorcycle accident. Marlys and Steven were as close as any mother and son could ever be with each other. Her family is very comforted knowing that on November 16, 2016, Marlys and her beloved child were reunited in Heaven as she closed her eyes here upon earth. As her remaining children face the grief of losing their mother, they carry with them the love she bore for them, the pride she felt in them, and the love of music that she cultivated in them.
Mrs. Marlys Thacker is survived by her dear children, Mark Thacker, Dan Thacker, and Michelle Thacker Calabro; her son-in-law, Mike Calabro; her eight grandchildren; and her three great-grandchildren. Marlys Thacker is preceded in death by her parents, Mott and Blanche Watson; her son, Steven Thacker; her granddaughter, Melissa Thacker; and her grandson, Nicholas Calabro.
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2016, 10:00am – 11:00am, First United Methodist Church of Richardson
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2016, 11:00am, First United Methodist Church of Richardson
East Lawn Cemetery
