Raymonde Yvonne Marigo, known as Meme to her Lakeport family and friends, passed away on Friday, April 13, 2012.

Meme was born on Dec. 8, 1930, in Toulouse, France.

She met and then married the late Noel Marigo in France in 1958. The newlywed couple then immigrated to Canada where she learned to speak English by listening in on the telephone's party line, watching TV in English and struggling through reading the newspaper. She was very determined.

In Canada, she also learned to drive. Later in 1960, they immigrated to the United States.

With her husband already a naturalized American citizen, Meme proudly became an American citizen in 1980.

Meme loved to garden and she never met a shrub that didn't need trimming. As a young woman in France Meme apprenticed as a seamstress, therefore she sewed all her daughters' clothes, the curtains for the home and later even took a class and learned to reupholster her own furniture.

She had a quiet sense of adventure which led her to the local senior center where she participated in the exercise classes and went on trips.

One very memorable trip in 1987 was the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge where she walked across the bridge with tens of thousands of others. She went
about life with nary a complaint, right to the end.

Meme is survived by her two daughters, Patricia Marigo (Sergio Chavez) and Nadine Marigo. She was the proud grandmother of David (Gabriela) Chavez, Nicolas (Tiffany) Chavez and Monica Chavez.

She was an even prouder great-grandmother to her great-grandson Rio and his sister Luca, born just

after her death. She will be missed by all who knew her and loved to hear her talk in her  beautiful French accent.

Per Meme's wishes, there will not be a formal memorial service. She was never a woman to draw attention to herself. Instead her family invites all those who wish to celebrate Meme's life to join them on Saturday, June 6, 6 p.m., at Rancho de la Fuente in Lakeport.