Joyce Marron

Joyce Marron was the first teacher for untold thousands of preschoolers throughout the state in the 1960s and early l970s.

They welcomed "Mrs. Marron" into their living rooms every day, but most of these youngsters never met the famed Albuquerque educator. In an era before kindergarten existed in Albuquerque Public Schools, New Mexico kids sat in front of black-and-white television sets for Channel 5's "TV Kindergarten."

Marron, a resident of Albuquerque for 50 years, died Thursday of complications from a stroke. She was 71. Services were held Monday.

Dr. George Fischbeck, a legendary Albuquerque television personality in his own right and Marron's colleague, said she "glowed on television."

"She was a woman it was natural to love," said Fisch-beck, who left Albuquerque in 1972 and did the weather on KABC-TV in Los Angeles for 25 years. "She was always one who looked for some way to get the message across. She'd look for anything to teach with. She was a compulsive teacher."

Sandia National Laboratories executive Gilbert Herrera, 43, remembered how he watched her for three years before he entered first grade. Between Marron and his mother, Herrera learned to read and write before he went to a formal classroom, he said.

"She came across as being very patient," Herrera said. "You had the sense she was actually in the room with you."

Born in Long Beach, Calif., Marron moved to Albuquerque with her husband, John, when he joined Sandia Labs.

She taught at APS before landing a job in the 1950s on KGGM-TV as "Miss Joyce" on the nationally syndicated show "Romper Room."

Later, she applied for KNME-TV's kindergarten show. Wayne Bundy, then program manager for the public television station, recalled how during an interview he explained to Marron the show's format of speaking to the camera as if to only one child.

Marron had never heard of the one-on-one concept, but she gave it a try, he said.

"She had it instantly," Bundy said. "It's still pretty unique. Not many people in the business (now) talk to one person on the air ..."

Marron would speak to children using first names each day and viewers felt she was talking only to them.

Eventually, Marron's show was picked up on 70 public television stations, he said.

The show won several national honors, including the 1962 McCall's Golden Mike Award. President Kennedy sent Marron a congratulatory telegram.

"Even her theme song, which she created, ended up: 'Just you and me,' '' Bundy said. "And that was the whole idea. My own kids all got preschool training from Mrs. Marron."

Survivors include daughters Denise Marron-Taylor and Lisa Marron, both of Albuquerque, and Cindy Lyman of Carlsbad, Calif.

"Mom was always a truly driven woman, and she loved and adored children and animals," Marron-Taylor said.

Wednesday, August 14, 2002

By Paul Logan

Journal Staff Writer, Albuquerque Journal