SAYING GOODBYE
MARIANNA SINCLAIR KEARNEY October 3, 1923–July 8, 2021
Marianna Sinclair on the summit of Mt. Hood, 1945 Image: Mazama Library & Historical Collections
by Rick Craycraft
W
hether for riding a bike on the summit of Mt. Hood, or running for her life from the fury of Mount St. Helens eruption, or for her professional-level artistic contributions to the Mazamas, Marianna Sinclair Kearney was one of the most visible Mazama members in the last half of the twentieth century.
Marianne was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan in a family that traveled a bit but limited their outdoor activities to sledding and skating. Marianna attended high school in downtown Detroit, then art school, preparing herself for a career as an illustrator and graphic designer. She worked in various industries to support the 26 MAZAMAS
war effort, and for a time was under the tutelage of Max Fleischer, the creator of Betty Boop. Then, suddenly, in 1944, her family decided to pull up stakes in Michigan and move to Oregon. They made an adventure of this move, visiting western wonders like Yellowstone, the Badlands,
