Marian Esther Jensen Wald

Loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, daughter, sister, wife, artist, teacher and actor Marian Esther Jensen Wald, 104, took her final bow and left the stage on April 18, 2026. Born July 5, 1921, to Esther and Ernest Jensen of Lone Rock, Iowa, Marian followed her mother and led her daughters into careers in teaching. An interest in broadening her horizons—as an airline hostess for TWA Airlines—took her out of the Midwest. At a layover in Albuquerque, she met TWA co-pilot Edgar Wald, from Los Angeles, and her life turned west.

Marian and Ed married in Los Angeles in 1945, where they had three daughters, Christine, Peggy and Betty. In 1952, they moved to Tucson, where Ed taught flying at Marana Air Base. At the time, with no public-school kindergartens in Tucson, Marian opened a kindergarten at Trinity Presbyterian Church. When public kindergartens were established in Tucson, she joined a creative team of educators at Lulu Walker Elementary School, at which she taught until retirement. At that point she discovered a new passion—community theatre. For nearly three decades, Marian performed in more than 80 plays—including old lady murderers, crank characters, and Ethel Thayer in “On Golden Pond”—a reflection of her and Ed’s cherished summers on Ten Mile Lake, in northern Minnesota. Marian’s last role, at 90 years old, was as Miss Daisy, in “Driving Miss Daisy.”

In their long marriage, Marina and Ed found a home and lifelong friendships at Trinity Presbyterian Church—especially the choir. They built Ed’s dream cabin on Ten Mile Lake, happy to be near Marian’s Jensen family. They also enjoyed world-traveling adventures.

Marian was preceded in death by husband Ed (d.1998) and his siblings Marion Migeot, Eugene Wald and Norma Casey; her parents Esther and Ernest, sister Dorothy Mull, brother Richard Jensen, and grandson Joel Allen. She is survived by daughters Christine Wald-Hopkins (David), Peggy Waller (Jeff), Betty Allen (Ron), 8 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, sister Helen Howe, brothers Donald and Jerry Jensen (Peggy), and a host of nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Marian’s life will be held May 9 at 11:00 AM at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 400 E. University Blvd., Tucson, Arizona 85705, memorial donations may be made to the Trinity Presbyterian Church Music Fund at https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZE5D/home