Annemarie Marriner

 Annemarie Marriner, born Sakowitz, was the daughter of Johann Max Sakowitz and Lotte Maria Sakowitz and the sister of Stephan Werner Sakowitz, all of whom predeceased her. Annemarie’s birthplace was Eichmedien in East Prussia, now part of Poland. 

During WW2 her father died as an officer in the German army. As a child, Annemarie recalls fleeing from the approaching Russian army. Her mother was driving the family car and she and her brother were passengers. A soldier stopped them and her mother smiled disarmingly. They were among the last to escape to an Island between N. Germany and Denmark, the Isle of Fehmarn, before the exit to Germany was closed off. Annmarie has happy memories of her life there. 

As a young woman she moved to Lübeck and later to England where she worked as an ‘au pair’, a nanny. She emigrated to Calgary Ab. and became a Canadian citizen in 1977. 

Annemarie acquired a Business College Diploma and apprenticed in Business Administration. From 1978 - 1988 she was employed at the Arctic Institute of North America, University of Calgary. German was Annemarie’s first language. Due to her proficiency in English, assisting with editing the U. of C. newspaper was added to her job description. 

For recreation Annemarie joined the Rocky Mountain Ramblers, a hiking club, where she formed life - long friendships. Ray Marriner was the Trip Leader. He and Annemarie were married on July 30 1970 in Calgary. Ray had expertise in building. He and Annemarie built their first home on the east side of Calgary at Langdon Corner. Ray was cofounder of the Calgary Youth Hostelers Association. He and Annemarie continued to be active with these young people. 

In 1988 they moved to Creston B.C. They built their second house on 40 Street in Canyon. It was a dream home, nestling below the mountains on an acerage with a creek and a forest behind the house. Friends and relatives visited from Germany, England and Canada.

Annemarie was an organized, energetic person, a good cook, an excellent seamstress, an animal lover, a hiker and cross country skier. She and Ray were founding members of the East Kootenay Environmental Society, now named Wildsight. 

Ray’s health was the first to fade. He developed Parkinson’s and had a series of strokes. Annemarie cared for him over the years and was heartbroken when he became a permanent resident at Swan Valley Lodge. Her life had become difficult as she was suffering progressive memory loss. She joined Ray as a Swan Valley resident in December of 2011 and became a widow in January 2013. 

Annemarie loved music and dancing. In her final hours on December 12 2019 she moved her hand in time to music playing on a CD. Her departure was peaceful.

In England, Annemarie was predeceased by her sister-in-law Ellie Fuller, Ellie’s husband Peter and by her niece-in-law Pauline Carpenter. She is survived by nieces-in-law Jane Ward and Linda Houlton (Bill) and their two sons Sam and Joe, by Richard Carpenter and the children of him and Pauline, Lucy, Edward and Rosie. 

In Germany, Annemarie is survived by her sister-in-law Gisa Lobischer (Heinz), nephews Stefan and Oliver Sakowitz (Maja), their three children Joshua, Seraphine and Jasper and by her cousins Horst Kleinhantz (Helga), Erwin Kleinhantz (Krystyna), Rosemarie Debicki (Klaus), Ingrid Hornig (Wolfgang), Marlies Luszig-Badhra, Karin Buchhop, Armin Luszig, Wilfried Stephan (Inge), Alfred Stephan, Manfred Stephan, Arno Szoebb (Rita) and Ulrich Szoebb (Margot). 

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday April 17 at 3.30 p.m. at G.F. Oliver Funeral Chapel, 225 15 Ave. N., Creston, B.C.

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