Edna M. (Aranibar) Marks, 94, died May 12 at her home in Newtown. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., August 11, 1920, she was a daughter of Santiago Aranibar and Martha Aranibar DelCastillo, both originally from Peru. Mrs Marks was predeceased in November 2014 by her husband of 70 years, Dr Eugene M. Marks.

She was educated at the Sacred Heart School, the Albright School of the Fine Arts, Rosary Hill College, and Western Connecticut State College.

The mother of six, Mrs Marks always found time for her family and her artistic pursuits. The Markses lived in Buffalo, Syracuse, and Kyoto, Japan, in the early days of their marriage, and in Alden, N.Y., for 15 years before moving to Newtown, in 1968. In Alden, the Markses were frequent hosts for exchange students from Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Thailand, and Uganda.

Mrs Marks was a talented painter, seamstress, and interior decorator, as well as a pianist who could play almost anything by ear. Early in her career she helped decorate a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Buffalo. She enjoyed participating in local theater, especially musical productions in Alden. 

It was not until middle age that she went back to college to become an art teacher, a job she loved. Mrs Marks was an art teacher at Newtown Middle School for many years. She continued to reflect back on her students during her retirement, and enjoyed seeing them around Newtown after they finished school. After her retirement from teaching, she was an interior design advisor and sales associate at JC Penney in Danbury.

She was an active member of St Rose of Lima Catholic Church.

Her memory will be cherished by her friends and family. Surviving Mrs Marks are her children and spouses Joanne and Jerry Shpunt of Newtown, Edward and Tammy Marks of Newtown, Dr James and Judi Marks of Princeton, N.J., Catherine and Lou Scott of Preble, N.Y., Judy and Bill Freitag of Hershey, Penn., and Elizabeth and Richard Cortright of Darien; her sister Martha Aranibar Johns of Williamsville, N.Y.; as well as 18 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

A special thank you to Karyn Feld Bolan, a former student of Mrs Marks, who was the primary caregiver and companion for Mr and Mrs Marks.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, May 16, at 10 am, in St Rose of Lima Church, 46 Church Hill Road Newtown. Interment will follow in St Rose Cemetery. There are no calling hours. To leave an online condolence visit www.honanfh.com.

The family requests donations to the Caroline Previdi Foundation, PO Box 3482, Newtown CT 06470, or at www.carolineprevidifoundation.org.

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown.