Marian Louise Gade

Marian Gade passed away peacefully at home on July 15, 2026, after a brief illness. She was

born in August of 1934 to Jack and Bertha Westover of Galesburg, Illinois. After the Second

World War, the family lived in Silver Spring, Maryland, near Washington, D.C.

Marian graduated with honors from Swarthmore College in 1956. Following college, she worked

for a member of the U.S. Congress. After this, she earned a master's degree from the University

of California, Berkeley, before beginning a long and dedicated career at the University of

California. Her professional work focused on the governance and leadership of colleges and

universities in the United States.

For more than 35 years, Marian served as a Research Associate to University of California

President Emeritus Clark Kerr, editing his acclaimed two-volume memoir recounting his years as

Chancellor of UC Berkeley and President of the University of California. In her role as Kerr's

assistant, she also contributed to numerous projects for the Carnegie Commission on Higher

Education and publications of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges,

including The Many Lives of Academic Presidents. During the final two years of her university

career, she served as Deputy Director of UC Berkeley's Center for Studies in Higher Education.

After retiring, Marian continued her commitment to the University of California through more

than 30 years of service to UC retirees at Berkeley and across the statewide system. She served

as President and Secretary of the University of California Retirees' Association at Berkeley

(UCRAB), represented retirees on the Retirement Center Advisory Board, and served for five

years as Chair of the Council of University of California Retiree Associations (CUCRA). In

recognition of her many years of service, she was named an honorary Director-at-Large of

UCRAB and an honorary member of CUCRA.

Marian also devoted time to community organizations, volunteering with the American Cancer

Society, the Girl Scouts, and the Sierra Club's River Touring Section. A Girl Scout for more than

80 years, she served as President of the San Francisco Bay Girl Scout Council (now the Girl

Scouts of Northern California), and remained active in the organization throughout much of her

life.

She enjoyed American music and was an active member of the San Francisco Folk Music Club.

She also appreciated the outdoors and recreational activities and was a licensed amateur radio

operator who participated in emergency preparedness efforts in Contra Costa County.

Marian is survived by two daughters, one grandchild, and a longtime partner. She will be

remembered for her lifelong commitment to higher education and the organizations and

communities of which she was a part. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the

Girl Scouts of Northern California [https://www.gsnorcal.org/en/support-us/donate.html].