Edna M. (nee Aranibar) Marks, 94, passed away at her home on May 12, 2015 in Newtown, CT. She was predeceased by her husband, Eugene M. Marks, who passed in November of 2014. They were married for 70 years. Mrs. Marks was born in Buffalo, NY on August 11, 1920 to Santiago Aranibar and Martha Aranibar DelCastillo, both originally from Peru.

She was educated at the Sacred Heart School, the Albright School of the Fine Arts, Rosary Hill College and Western Connecticut State College. The mother of six, Mrs. Marks always found time for her family and her artistic pursuits. The Markses lived in Buffalo, Syracuse and Kyoto, Japan in the early days of their marriage and in Alden, NY for fifteen years before moving to Newtown, CT in 1968. In Alden, the Markses were frequent hosts for exchange students from Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Thailand and Uganda.

Edna was a talented painter, seamstress and interior decorator, as well as a pianist who could play almost anything by ear. Early in her career she helped decorate a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Buffalo. She enjoyed participating in local theater, especially musical productions in Alden. It was not until middle age that she went back to college to become an art teacher, a job she loved. Mrs. Marks was an art teacher at Newtown Middle School for many years. Edna continued to reflect back on her students during her retirement and enjoyed seeing them around Newtown after they finished school. After her retirement from teaching, she was an interior design advisor and sales associate at J. C. Penney in Danbury. She was an active member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church.

Her memory will be cherished by her friends and family. Surviving Edna, is her sister Martha Aranibar Johns of Williamsville, NY; her children Dr. James Marks and his wife Judi of Princeton, NJ; Catherine Scott and her husband Lou of Preble, NY, Joanne Shpunt and her husband Jerry of Newtown, CT, Judy Freitag and her husband Bill of Hershey, PA; Elizabeth Cortright and her husband Richard of Darien, CT; and Edward Marks and his wife Tammy of Newtown, CT as well as 18 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. A special thank you to Karyn Feld Bolan, a former student of Edna, who was the primary caregiver and companion for Edna and Eugene.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday May 16th at 10:00am in St. Rose of Lima Church, Newtown. Interment will follow in St. Rose Cemetery. There are no calling hours. The family requests donations to the Caroline Previdi Foundation, PO Box 3482, Newtown, CT 06470 www.carolineprevidifoundation.org Funeral arrangements are in care of the Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown. To leave an online condolence visit www.honanfh.com

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