When Marvel B. Kirby passed away in 2021, PCF was a beneficiary of her charitable trust. Some of her friends who share her love of Pasadena and her ethos of service and generosity will be honored with named endowments that will support causes important to them. Marian Hall is one of the honorees.
Marian Hall grew up in La Cañada Flintridge, which at the time was considered “way out in the country.” She attended several local public schools, including Eliot Middle School in Altadena, South Pasadena High School, and San Marino High School.
She met her future husband, Lem, in 1948 in Pasadena. Marian’s father was the head of the local Ration Board and assisted in handing out gas ration coupons. Lem was in the Army Air Corps and happened to be in line to get a gas ration, where he met Marian. Once married, the couple had four children, all of whom were born at Huntington Hospital and eventually attended Linda Vista Elementary School.
A Career as Fashion Designer and Author
Marian was not content to stay at home as a full-time mother, however. When pregnant with one of her children, Marian designed her own maternity bathing suit and impressed her set of local friends. She took courses at the Fashion Institute and soon embarked on a busy and successful career in fashion design despite having no formal training. Her proprietary line of clothing, simply called “Marian Hall,” was carried in stores like Lord & Taylor and Bonwit Teller.
In 1973, Marian and Lem moved to Malibu, where Marian lived for the next 43 years. In 2002, she published her first book titled California Fashion: From the Old West to New Hollywood, which was followed by her second book, in 2002, Malibu: California’s Most Famous Seaside Community. Marian moved to Santa Barbara in recent years.
The Power of Endowment
Endowments are the cornerstone of PCF’s mission to build hometown legacies. The corpus of each endowed fund is invested with PCF’s portfolio for long-term growth. Each year, the endowments generate the funds that support PCF’s local grantmaking, which enriches the arts community, protects our environment, provides health care and critical social services, and bolsters public education in Pasadena. Endowments are permanent legacies for our community; these funds will continue to grow and provide philanthropic support forever. Learn more about becoming a PCF Endowment Builder.
Created March 2021