Obituaries : * Maribel Marinelli; Newspaper Food Editor

Maribel Marinelli, a former food editor at a Thousand Oaks newspaper, has died after a long illness. She was 63.

Marinelli, the mother of three children, suffered a stroke 10 years ago. She never fully recovered and died in her home Friday.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Marinelli moved to the Los Angeles area with her family as a teen-ager. She met her husband, Anthony, while working at a Hughes Aircraft plant in Los Angeles. After marrying, the couple moved in 1968 from Inglewood to Thousand Oaks.

Throughout her life, Marinelli held a passion for cooking. As food editor for the Thousand Oaks News-Chronicle, she experimented with various recipes--from Italian to Asian dishes--in her own kitchen.

After leaving the newspaper, Marinelli worked briefly for an insurance company in Woodland Hills.

Marinelli’s other interests included painting, sewing and playing the piano.

Marinelli is survived by her husband, Anthony, and three children, Maria Smart, 30, Tony, 27, and Matthew, 22, all of Thousand Oaks.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Pierce Brothers Griffin Mortuary in Thousand Oaks. A service is planned for 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paschal Babylon Church in Thousand Oaks.

Ventura County obituaries are published free of charge as a public service to readers. Obituaries are based on information provided by mortuaries.