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Marcia McChesney  was born in Kellogg, Idaho, on March 7, 1930.  Life in the small town was pleasant early, but the first challenge of her life arose when her father, William, passed away in her teen years, forcing her mother, Vivan, to go to teaching school. As a result, Marcia was essentially orphaned. Being passed from family to family, she attended four different high schools in four different states.

She then attended Oregon State University and worked as a medical technician, and met Bill McChesney on a blind date. Both Marcia and Bill joked throughout their marriage that when they met, she was sitting on her roommate’s fiancé’s lap (there weren’t enough chairs) when Bill met her for the date.

They married March 28, 1953. Marcia moved with Bill to Amarillo, Texas for Bill’s Air Force service.  Her first of four sons, Thomas Adrean, was born there. A year later, they moved to Japan, where Steven was born. Marcia’s mother joined them there, and they always spoke fondly of Japan and all the people they met. 

After the Air Force, Marcia settled with her family in the little coastal town of Brookings, Oregon. There, their third son, William Edward (Billy), was born in neighboring Crescent City, California.  

Marcia and Bill’s final move brought them to Eugene, Oregon because they wanted to live in a college town for their boys. There they bought their first house which became their home for over 50 years.  In Eugene, youngest son Ken was born. 

It was much later in life that Marcia discovered some amazing talents.  First, joining the rest of the family, Marcia tried distance running, and quickly became a world-class master’s distance runner.  Son Ken tells the tale of Mom having to pace him as a teenager in a half marathon once, and Steve recalls a master’s meet at Hayward with an age-graded mile competition. As Steve and Bill playfully argued with each other about who had won for the McChesney’s by age, it was Mom who actually took the family crown that day.

Marcia, while supporting all four boys’ and Bill’s running careers, advocated for women’s sports. Often, she recalled the disparity of physical education classes growing up. She would say, “The boys were taught sports; the girls were given a ball and told to go play.”  Many female distance runners often shared with the family how Marcia helped inspire them in their running. Marcia ran marathons including New York City and Boston.

Marcia revolutionized running when the South Eugene High School coach brought her the old track team uniforms and asked her if she could make something better.  In her sewing room, Marcia designed new shorts with elastic liners made of trico fabric.  

The new shorts, with matching trico tops, became a sensation. She found herself receiving orders from universities, including Oregon, San Francisco, and Montana, as well as numerous special orders from elite athletes, including Olympians. 

Serving the running community in yet another way, Marcia was an avid supporter of the University of Oregon track program, serving as an official for forty years. Reliability, excellence, and encouragement best described the many years of work on the finish line. 

Marcia truly loved working as an official at the Oregon state meets for the high school kids.  At the cross country championship meet her job was to corral all of the award winners coming out of the chute and get them to the awards ceremony.  Not an easy job, but she had a special way of gathering them with respect and kindness.

In the spring season of Ken's senior year at South Eugene, Steven was Ken's coach and awarded Marcia and Bill an honorary Axeman letter for all their years of supporting the Axeman and their four sons. 

Marcia worked for several years for a mental health facility in Springfield. Many days, she rode her bicycle the fourteen mile round trip to work.  In a variety of roles, she was loved and valued by all.

Marcia loved singing, and was a member of Sweet Adelines ensemble for years. She was also a clown for many years, enjoying the role of bringing humor to others.

At home, Marcia’s hospitality was legendary as well.  She and Bill frequently hosted Oregon track athletes Sunday nights when the dorms were closed. Marcia cooked incredible meals for her family, her boys’ teammates and friends, elite athletes, and visitors from around the world.  Her boys never once needed to ask to bring a friend home to stay a week or two; the family always welcomed guests and Marcia made them feel at home.

Tragedy like the loss of her father would again take a toll on Marcia and her family. In 1981, her mother, Vivan, passed away after a battle with Parkinson’s disease.  Five years later, son Tom was killed in California riding his bicycle to the school where he taught and coached.  Then, in 1992, son Billy died from an automobile accident going to the Oregon Coast after giving a motivational talk to one team and traveling to another.

In the early 2000’s, Marcia was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. It was in this affliction that Marcia’s courage may have been most prevalent.  In 2017, she and Bill gave up their house and moved to assisted living where they together took on the progression of the terrible disease, spending their remaining years with the very loving staff at Churchill Estates assisted living community.

Shortly before her passing, Bill and Marcia celebrated her 90th birthday with friends and then their 67th anniversary.  Marcia is survived by her son Steven, Steven’s wife, Marianne,  and their children, William and Steven; her daughter-in-law, Nanci; and her son, Ken, Ken’s wife, Ellen, and their children, Madison, Cam, and Matthew.

Preceding Marcia in death were her sons, Tom and Billy, and her loving husband, Bill.

The family is incredibly grateful to Marcia’s Visiting Angel, Jessica, and all the loving friends who shared in her wonderful life.