Margery Duhig Card, artist, nature lover and Francophile, passed away from heart failure on February 10 in her home in Pacific Palisades. She was 86. Margery’s birth on March 3, 1924 in Taft, California coincided with the bloom of California wildflowers that she grew to adore. She and her sister Barbara (Deedee) were third-generation natives of this state. Their father, Walter Duhig grew up in Napa and found a good business supplying stainless steel to the growing oil industry near Bakersfield. Margery’s mother, Frances Hall, had acted on stage in New York and in silent films in Hollywood. By the mid-1930s the Duhig family moved to Beverly Hills. It was at Beverly High that a French teacher inspired Margie and she developed a love for the French sense of beauty. In the summer of 1941, Margery moved north to Stanford University, where she made good friends at Kappa Alpha Theta and met the love of her life, Frank Card. ‘Do you know the way to the English department?’ she asked that cute fellow in the Block S letterman sweater. He said he didn’t know but later kicked himself for not asking her to the Howdy Dance. He raced back down the hall to her, which led to a long relationship, cemented by Coke dates in the Eucalyptus Grove. They were married on February 12, 1943 at All Saint’s Episcopal Church of Beverly Hills. Living in Santa Monica, Margery devoted herself to her baby boys Dave and Tom while Frank worked as president of Walter’s supply business, Duhig and Co. She contributed time to St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church and Children’s Hospital charity. Shortly after their third child, Cathy, was born in the mid1950s, the family moved to Pacific Palisades. Along with time at St. Matthew’s and PTA work, Margery enjoyed the Garden Rakes club (Pacific Palisades and Brentwood garden club), learning to appreciate California’s natural beauty. As her children grew, Margery began to explore a deep passion: Art. She started with classes at Rustic Canyon Recreation Center followed by advanced courses at UCLA Extension. Margery and fellow artists coupled teacher-led studio sessions with plein-aire landscape painting of the local mountains and beaches. Her own children and grandchildren became some of her favorite subjects. And she encouraged them to find their own artistic expression, no matter the medium. Each felt her unconditional support and heard her generous praise. For 50 years Margery painted and studied painters. She contributed to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and joined their trips in search of fine art. But the best art Margery found was in her beloved Paris. The color, the flavor, the precision and the passion of the French continued to affect her. Margery and Frank were married for 68 wonderful years. She is survived by Frank, their children David (wife Cris) of Pacific Palisades, Thomas (wife Barbara) of Encino and Catherine (husband Scott) Marquard of Menlo Park; her sister Barbara in Berkeley, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A memorial service for Margery will be held on Sunday, February 20 at 2 p.m. at St. Matthew’s, 1031 Bienveneda. Remember Margery D. Card with a donation to the Theodore Payne Foundation (supporting California native wildflowers and seeds,10459 Tuxford St., Sun Valley, CA 91352-2116), or a gift to the Outreach Fund at The Parish of St. Matthew, 1031 Bienveneda, Pacific Palisades, 90272 (310-454-1358) or by planting California Poppy seeds.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
