Marion Northcutt

It is with a mix of sorrowful heart and great sadness and reflection to announce that Marion Savoie Northcutt (Mary Frances Savoie), 77, passed away with dignity and respect on 4/6/25 in El Paso, TX, following a very serious stroke. She was called home and is now at her place in Paradise. As the very determined person she was, Marion was full of life, and she was a true warrior and fighter who always fought the good fight as best as she could. She tackled problems and hardships head-on with extreme courage, strength and faith, and she would never give up when those hardships occurred. She had a natural knack to think and put others first before herself, even when facing her own problems, and she did so with grace and style. Her faith in God ran very deep. Marion was a very strong emotional person who always loved and believed in bringing out the best in others and helping people the best ways she could. She was an extremely happy, generous and caring person, and throughout her life, she easily made many close friendships and was always very close with her family. Once a person met Marion, that person would gain a close friend for life. She was a very unselfish and genuine person who consistently did everything she could do to help and support the many people she knew, and it was obvious how much people respected and deeply cared about her. Putting smiles on people’s faces was a priority for her and always made her feel good. She was a very strong animal advocate who deeply loved animals and the many pets she had throughout her life. Marion had many positive qualities, too many to name. She had an enormous sense of humor and enjoyed being a “joker” to get others to laugh. She was very empathetic, funny, smart and witty, and her radiant smile always lit the room up. Her loss creates a huge hole and void with her family and friends that cannot be filled, and she will be sorely missed by all who knew her. Mary Frances, as her family always called her, was born on 2/4/48 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Roswell to Reba Lois and John Henry Savoie. As an only child, her parent doted on her and loved her so much. At an early age, Reba and John moved to Artesia, NM, and Mary Frances grew up there. Mary Frances will always be remembered by her family for always rescuing and saving animals and giving them her love. She was musically gifted, and during her school years, she played the clarinet, piano, organ and ukulele. She excelled so well with the clarinet that she was chosen to be the First Chair Clarinet in the Zin Junior High School band, and while in high school, she was a proud member of the Artesia High School Bulldog marching band. But she did not stop there. She was also very involved and interested in English and Journalism, and she quickly became a feature writer and editor for the Artesia High School newspaper, the Beacon. She graduated from high school in 1966. She later decided she wanted to be a Registered Nurse (RN) and foresaw her future in a field of work that would give her the opportunities to provide direct help to others in need. She attended Eastern New Mexico University in both Roswell and in Portales, NM, in the nursing program from 1978-1980, and she proudly graduated with her Associates Degree in Nursing in 1980. Mary Frances worked and lived in various cities and hospitals as an RN, and she worked in several specialty areas and settings, to include hospitals, the state psychiatric facility in Virginia, and in a prison in Virginia. Her main interests was working in Medical Surgical and Oncology units. It cannot be overstated how much she enjoyed nurturing and helping the sick in her career as an RN, and it is without any doubts that many thousands of her patients remembered her kindness and caring nature. She always believed in doing even the simplest of tasks, like getting fresh water for patients, even when extremely busy with her own shift duties. She always treated others with full dignity and respect. She retired from her nursing career in 2006 after 26-years. She was a wonderful mother to her daughter, Marion Janetta (Jan) Petersen, and she always made Jan the priority in her life. She met her husband, James (Jim) Northcutt, in 1998 in Corpus Christi, TX, and they became instant soulmates who fell in love and married in 2000. They moved to Roswell in 2006. Mary Frances was also a very caring and loving daughter to her parents, and she helped her Mom everyday until her passing. Marion is survived by her loving husband, Jim, and by Jan and her husband, Cory Petersen, of Roswell. She is also survived by her two grandsons, Matthew Arriaga, and his wife, Tammy Arriaga, and by Joshua Petersen, all in Roswell. Additionally, she is survived by several family members, to include: aunt, Elsa Hayes of Grand Junction, CO; aunt, Katherine Shelton and her husband, Eric Shelton, of Albuquerque, NM; cousin Steven Lester and his wife, Sarah Lester, of Grand Junction; cousin Johnny Lester and his wife, Jane Lester, of Carlsbad, NM; cousin Wayne Savoie and his wife, Cheri, of Prescott, AZ; cousin Carolyn Savoie and her husband, Gary Gray, of Lincoln, MT, and cousin Pat Walker and her husband, Johnny, of Denver City, TX. She is also survived by our two kitty cats, Bootz and Chester, whom she cherished. She is preceded in death by her mother and father, Reba and John Savoie, and by her grandparents, aunts and uncles, and by Jim’s family members as well. Graveside services will be held on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 11:00 AM, at McBride Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please send any donations to the Humane Society in Roswell.

Marion Northcutt

February 4, 1948 - April 6, 2025