Marlen Maria was born in Limon, Costa Rica on May 5, 1946 to Arnoldo Cayasso and Irma Dixon, and blessed with Frank McLean as her step-father. She was married in 1965 to Jose Gerardo Castillo and had 5 children before moving to California with her family in 1984.

Upon her arrival in the United States, she worked for Stanford Park Hotel in Menlo Park, Ca for many years, then went on to work for Samaritan House in San Mateo, Ca. It was there where Marlen was so excited about her life-long passion of helping others that she decided to go back to school and pursued her associate degree in Social Work at the age of 51. In 2017, she retired from the job that she loved and moved to the house that she had purchased.

Wherever Marlen was became the gathering place for the entire family. Marlen didn’t need a special occasion to celebrate life. She took great joy in spending time with her family listening and dancing to all types of music. She loved shoes, eating good food, catching the sun rays on her front porch, collecting elephants and spending winters in front of her fireplace and summers barbequing in her big back yard. She had a special relationship with each-one of her grandchildren; they described her as strong willed, independent, funny, spiritual, a peace maker, and an incredibly loving woman. She was indeed the heart and life of the family; her absence will leave a permanent hole in our hearts.

Marlen is survived by her mate of 36 years, Larry Collins. She also leaves everlasting memories of love, respect, humility and joy to her children Angel Antonio, Ivonne and husband Cesar, Guiselle and husband Wesley, Willie and wife Heather, Erika and husband Antonio Sr. Twelve grandchildren, Vanessa, Robert, Angel, Keith, Christina, Dominique, Jason, Antonio Jr., Steven, Brandon, Jose, Andrea. And her 10 great-grand-children Mariana, Carl Jr., Hailey, Pierre, Skylar, Isabella, Anessa, Leilany, Abigail and Adonis. Aunt Cora Dixon, Sisters Barbara, Giselle, Marta, brothers, Juan, Raul, Jorge and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

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