Marion Joyce Falconer Obituary Oct 22, 2026 - Affordable Cremation Services of New York

Obituary

Marion Joyce Falconer
Marion Joyce Falconer, 80, of Lynbrook, New York, passed away on October 22, 2026, leaving
behind a family who loved her dearly, friends who will never forget her, and no doubt a few
broken hearts along the way.
Born on May 22, 1946, in Queens, New York, to Alfred Falconer and Lillian Spinks, Marion grew
up in Queens Village and Hollis. Marion is survived by her daughter, Denise Jackson; son-in-law,
Darren Jackson; grandchildren, Jacob Jackson, Lillian Mata, and Grace Mata; her sister, Patricia
Barris; and her best friend, Geneska Dawson. She was preceded in death by her beloved
parents, and her dear best friend, Peggy, who was more like a sister than a friend.
She built a life defined by hard work, independence, loyalty, and a sense of humor that was
unmistakably her own. She was honest, salty, kind, loving, and never one to hold back. Marion
had no filter, said what she meant, and had a way of making people laugh even when they
probably shouldn't.
Marion enjoyed a long career as a fleet service associate with Trans World Airlines (TWA),
where she made lasting friendships and was loved by many. Her time with TWA also gave her
and her daughter, Denise, opportunities to explore the world together. During Denise's high
school years, Marion took her to England every summer, armed with a guidebook called
England on $20 a Day—a reminder of just how long ago those adventures began! She would
stay at a bed and breakfast in London and take the train from Victoria Station to explore the
English countryside. Those trips were more than vacations; they were memories that Denise
will treasure for a lifetime.
Marion was a woman who made things happen. As a single mother, she worked hard, bought
her own home, and put her daughter through college. She was Denise's biggest supporter, her
teacher, her guide, and, most importantly, her best friend. No matter what life brought, Denise
knew her mom would be there to help, to lead the way, and to make sure she felt loved.
Her adventurous spirit never faded. Marion loved flea markets, yard sales, shopping, and trips
to Rock Port and Lake George. In her 60s, despite having bad knees, she went parasailing in
Lake George—because apparently bad knees were not going to get in the way of a good time.
She also loved her cats, some of whom undoubtedly greeted her on the other side. And even in
her later years, Marion had not lost her eye for an attractive man. Her humor, confidence, and
mischievous spirit remained very much intact.
But to the younger generation, Marion was known by another name: Tink.
Lily, Grace, Jake, and their friends affectionately called her Tink, after Tinkerbell. The nickname
was a perfect fit. Marion was a tinkerer in every sense of the word—creative, inventive, and
always finding something to do. And like Peter Pan, she simply refused to grow up. Age was just
a number, rules were sometimes more like suggestions, and there was always room for another
adventure.
Tink also made sure her granddaughters grew up believing in a little magic. She had Lily and
Grace convinced that fairies lived in the yard, tucked away beneath the mushrooms. Whether
they ever actually spotted one is beside the point; Tink had given them something far more
lasting—the wonder of childhood, the magic of imagination, and memories that would make
them smile long after they stopped looking under the mushrooms for fairies. It was just like
Marion to make the ordinary extraordinary and remind everyone that a little magic could be
found right in their own backyard.
One of Tink's greatest joys was finally making it to Disney World and Universal, thanks to the
family travel agent, Darren. It was a trip that gave the family memories they will laugh about for
years to come. Among the stories destined for family legend are Tink's infamous encounter
with a mannequin and the unforgettable sight of her driving her electric scooter up the wall of
an elevator. These moments will live in family infamy, retold with laughter and just enough
embellishment to keep Tink's legend alive. After all, when your nickname is Tink and you refuse
to grow up, ordinary family vacations simply won't do.
And then there was Christmas, her favorite holiday, lived all year long. She approached it with
the dedication, precision, and planning of a military operation. Christmas shopping began in
January and was finished by June. Her house was once described as the perfect Christmas
house, and anyone who knew Marion understood why. She even had a permanent “Christmas”
cabinet, because naturally, Christmas deserved its own designated space all year long.
There was a strict timeline for everything: Christmas dinner shopping had to be done on
schedule, cookies had to be baked, and the cheese sauce and cheesecakes had to be made just
so. Christmas wasn't something Marion simply celebrated; it was something she orchestrated.
Naturally, supervising Denise's baking was part of the process. On one memorable occasion,
while Marion was carefully monitoring her daughter's cookie-making skills, Denise took a
spatula and stabbed a cookie to death right there on the baking tray. Marion was horrified,
apparently witnessing a culinary crime of the highest order. Her shock and turmoil soon gave
way to hysterical laughter. It was a perfect Marion moment: even when traditions were under
threat and cookies were being brutally murdered, there was always room for a good laugh.
For Marion, Christmas was about more than decorations, food, and presents. It was about
creating memories, bringing people together, and making the people she loved feel special. The
extraordinary amount of thought she put into every detail was simply another way of showing
her family how much they meant to her. Her Christmas house, her traditions, and even her
strict deadlines will be remembered with love.
Family was at the heart of Marion's life. She helped Denise raise her two daughters, Lillian Irene
and Grace Marion, passing along her strength, generosity, loyalty, and humor. Those qualities
did not miss a generation. Lillian and Grace are remarkable, loving, and generous young
women, and so much of who they are reflects the grandmother who helped shape them.
Through Tink, they learned that life should be lived fully, laughter is essential, and growing
older does not mean growing up.
Marion also had a knack for knowing things before the rest of us caught on. In the early 1990s,
she picked out Darren for Denise, although nobody quite realized it at the time. When Darren
threatened to marry her daughter, Marion's response was, “The hell you will.” Twenty years
later, that young man she had set Denise up with for a Marine Corps ball date became her
daughter's husband and the rock of the family. Marion may not have admitted it, but she
certainly knew what she was doing. She leaves Denise and her family in the loving hands of
Darren, along with his incredible son, Jake, and Jake's wife, Katy.
And then there were the men. Marion was married once, to Denise's father, Richard Davies, but
she had many loves throughout her life. She leaves behind, we suspect, a wake of broken
hearts. If heaven has a waiting list, Marion has probably already made her way through it—and
there may be a little fighting over who gets to spend time with her. We can only hope she is
enjoying every minute.
Above all, Marion taught her family to be strong, work hard, be loyal, laugh often, and always
show up for the people you love. She taught them that life is meant to be lived, that a little
honesty never hurt anyone, and that even bad knees should not necessarily stop you from
going parasailing. She showed them that creativity has no age limit, that laughter can turn an
ordinary moment into a lifelong memory, and that the best people never really lose their inner
child.
One of Marion's favorite songs was You're a Friend of Mine by Clarence Clemons. It feels
especially fitting for a woman who was so much more than a mother or grandmother. She was
a friend, a confidante, a partner in adventure, and the person who could make you feel loved
simply by being there.
Marion's love, strength, humor, and kindness will live on in everyone whose life she touched.
Her stories will be retold, her laughter will be remembered, and her unmistakable spirit will
continue through the family she loved so fiercely. And somewhere, we imagine, Tink is tinkering
with something, getting into trouble with Peggy, charming a few more men, and reminding
everyone that growing up was always optional.
She was one of a kind. She was loved beyond measure. She was Tink. And she will be missed
more than words can say.
Memorial Gathering
Family and friends are invited to gather in celebration of Marion's life on Friday, October 30,
2026, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
VFW Post 2307
235 Merrick Road
Lynbrook, NY 11563
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Marion's memory to ASPCA, Sierra Club, PETA,
Defenders of Wildlife, or Greenpeace, organizations that reflect her love for animals and the
world around her.

To plant a memorial tree in memory, please visit our tree store.

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