Darlene Ann Gerken

November 8, 1928-May 4, 2009

Darlene Gerken, of Newport Beach, passed away on May 4th

from complications of an abdominal infection. She was 80

years old.

She was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Theresa and John

Stolt. After spending her childhood in Milwaukee, Darlene

attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison where she

graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Home

Economics. She met her future husband, Walter B. Gerken,

in Madison while working at Frauchy’s Department Store.

Darlene’s life was her family. She raised six children with

no nannies and no maids. Though she came from a modest

background, Darlene always stressed the importance of

education. This dedication bore significant fruit as her six

children graduated college from Harvard, Princeton, Stanford

(2) and Wesleyan (2). She was an absolutely selfless and loving

mother and wife who always found time to be there for her

kids and her husband. As the wife of the CEO of Pacific

Life Insurance Company for much of the 1970s and 1980s,

Darlene was known for her warm and welcoming manner

and for treating all people, no matter their position, with the

respect and decency she felt all people deserved. With the

little time she had outside of her family, Darlene served on

the board of Planned Parenthood of Orange County and also

tutored underprivileged kids in Santa Ana.

She is survived by her husband, Walter Gerken, and her six

children and their families: Walter C., his wife Linda, and

their children Walter Drew and Eloise; Ellen, her husband

Robert Mainthow and their children Nicolle and Alex;

Beth, and her children, Christopher, Andrew and Caroline;

Daniel, his wife Gina and their children Max and Adam;

Andrew, his wife Catharina and their children Annika, Marika

and Isabella; and David, his wife Stephanie, and their son

Hank. She is also survived by her brother, Jack Stolt. She is

predeceased by her sisters, Joyce Specht and Violet Wielgus.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 9,

at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, 3233 Pacific

View Dr., Corona del Mar, CA. In lieu of flowers, please send

donations to the United Way or a charity of your choice.