Marion H.
Onesti
Family and friends gather Sat. Oct. 5, 2019 from 9-10:45 AM at HOLY APOSTLES CATHOLIC CHURCH
MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL AT 11:00 AM
Passed away on Saturday, September 21, 2019 age 77 years.
Marion is survived by her husband, Donald Paullin; daughters Angela (Ron) Sincere and Leah Liegler; and grandchildren Taylor, Chyna, Ash, Josselyn and Logan. Also survived by siblings Leroy Onesti, Paul Onesti, Richard (Susan) Onesti, Rose Mary (Joseph) Putnam, as well as nieces and nephews and numerous Paullin family members. A sister, Juliann Barroso, preceded her in death.
The daughter of the late Scivio and Loretta Onesti of Shawano County, Marion graduated from Bowler High School, received her B.S. from UW-Oshkosh and her M.S. from UW-Milwaukee. She taught English for 34 years at Wauwatosa West High School.
A lover of books and libraries since childhood, Marion served on the boards of the Bridges Library System, the New Berlin Public Library, and the Friends of New Berlin Public Library, the latter for which she chaired the used book sales for many years. She was also a member of the American Association of University Women.
Family and friends will gather On Saturday, October 5, 2019 from 9-10:45 AM at HOLY APOSTLES CATHOLIC CHURCH, 16000 W. National Avenue, New Berlin. Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM. Interment will be private.
Memorials may be directed to the Sisters of St. Francis, 3221 S. Lake Drive, St. Francis 53235 or The Women’s Center, 505 N. East Avenue, Waukesha 53186.
heritagefuneral.com
So sorry to hear of Marion’s passng.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families..
So sorry to hear about Marion passing away. My prayers and thoughts go out to you all during this time.
I first knew Marion as a student at Wauwatosa West. She was always the friendly face supervising the hallway. Many years later it was my honor to serve with Marion on the New Berlin Library Board. Marion was passionate about reading and learning. I am honored to have known her.
So very sorry to hear of Marion passing. She will be missed by many.
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Marion was such a kind woman who was generous with her time and talents. She was a strong library and literacy advocate. It was an honor to know her as a member of the Bridges Library System Board. My sympathies and condolences to Marion’s entire family.
I was. Student of Ms Onesti. She was awesome. I pray for fer family and friends who grieve her loss.
My condolences to Miss Onesti’s family. (I’m using her name as I knew it.). She was a wonderful teacher who inspired me to write! Sue B. West Class of ‘72
I was honored to serve many years with Marion on the New Berlin Library Board. She was so kind and capable. A liberal dose of formidable intellect, made her a unique asset not only to New Berlin , but the county as well. I treasured her friendship. My deepest condolences to her family. Dianne Carr
My deepest condolences to you all. This is four years too late, but I want you to know how much Marion meant to me. I think the words below will express my sentiments.
One Moment: The Conversation that Changed My Life
Have you ever been told, “See me after class”? Maybe it was a message scrawled across the top of your paper. Maybe your teacher whispered it as she passed your desk. If you’ve ever experienced it, you know the nervousness and dread it causes. So when Ms. Onesti told me, “See me after class,” my stomach tightened and my throat constricted. My mouth went as dry as a desert.
An important idea for life is that the simplest lessons are the most profound and longest lasting. This lesson became clear on a day in November of 1984, the day I saw Ms. Onesti after class.
On this day nearly 40 years ago, our world was much different than it is today. The internet lived only in Al Gore’s imagination, MTV showed music videos all day, every day, and cell phones existed only in science fiction. I was in twelfth grade at Tosa West High School in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and my senior slide was accelerating. I thought my life was pretty good. I had a girlfriend, a job, and an acceptance letter from UW-Eau Claire. What I didn’t have was a good grade in English. All I wanted was to glide through my senior year with easy classes and a 3.2 GPA, but now I faced the possibility of a C or worse in a subject that I had always considered a strength. I felt confused and incapable. Wasn’t I a good writer? What was I doing wrong? On top of all that, I was staring at another giant, red “C-minus” on my latest in-class essay. My paper looked like it was bleeding, scratched with red arrows and notes and comments. It got worse. Next to that mediocre grade were the dreaded words “See me after class.”
Not only did I feel like a failure, but I now had to deal with Miss Onesti. First, I suspected that she wanted to talk about my poor writing grades, or more accurately, her low opinion of my writing. Then, I feared it could be something else. An accusation of cheating? A warning about some inappropriate behavior? With Ms. Onesti, one could never be too sure. She was a tough grader and a no-nonsense teacher. When she walked her heels clicked on the linoleum floor like machine gun fire.
I felt like ignoring the note and filing out of the room at the bell. Whatever, I thought. I don’t wanna deal with this now.
However, at that moment my body ignored my head. When the bell rang, I stood to leave but lingered at my desk. After all the other students had left, Ms. Onesti motioned for me to sit down.
“David,” she began, “I need to talk to you about your writing.”
I braced for a barrage of criticisms, but it never came. Instead, I received a revelation and a gift.
“David, your writing expresses good ideas, but they fly all over the place,” she said, waving her hands over head as if they were birds in flight. “Here is a tip for you.”
She offered an idea. “When you read a question, take a moment to jot down your opinion. Under that opinion, list three reasons for it.” She modeled the process by making a note in the upper right corner of my C- paper.
“Then, stick to that structure as you write.”
After all the angst and worry, I felt relief. I thought, Was that all she wanted to talk to me about? Could it be that easy? Despite the simplicity of her advice, a light bulb switched on and a door unlocked. My confidence surged, for I learned an easy trick to give my writing the structure it had been lacking. I also felt seen. Here was a teacher who took the time to reach out to me personally and to confer with me. She saw talent in me and wanted to coach me to reach my potential.
More importantly, the idea that “three is the key” stayed with me. It gave me a template for breaking down complex ideas, and I used it to excel on every one of my college writing assignments. And today, nearly 40 years later, it is a lesson I teach my high school students. It is my way to honor the teacher and her 60-second lesson that gave me the tools to succeed in college. It also inspired me to make teaching my life’s work.
“See me after class” are four words that changed my life.