Mary Ann Merrifield; Secretary at Studios

Mary Ann Merrifield of Oxnard, a longtime secretary for Twentieth Century-Fox Studios, died Tuesday following a lengthy illness. She was 64.

Merrifield was born Aug. 12, 1932, in Forman, N. D. She moved to Oregon, where she grew up and went to school.

After marrying her husband, Wayne, a real estate broker, the Merrifields moved to the Los Angeles area in the early 1950s.

“She loved it here and wanted to be here,” said her daughter, Cheryl Merrifield, of Oxnard.

After settling in the area, Merrifield began working as a secretary, first at Douglas Aircraft and later for the studios. She worked off and on at Fox for more than 20 years, Cheryl Merrifield said.

While at the studios, Merrifield was a personal secretary for Art Linkletter, directors Daryl Zanuck and Michael Cimino, casting directors Eddie Ford Jr. and Marvin Paige, and producer George Paris.

She also worked for a time at MGM and Motown Records.

“She had one hell of a life,” Cheryl Merrifield said. “She was really one special person.”

Merrifield, a Ventura County resident for four years, enjoyed spending time at the beach and the harbor, and browsing the thrift stores in Oxnard, Ventura and Santa Barbara. She was also a voracious reader, her daughter said.

Having worked behind the scenes in Hollywood for years, Merrifield was a film buff and enjoyed movies, including “Wuthering Heights,” “Rebecca,” “Gaslight” and “The Secret Garden.”

Action thrillers were also among Merrifield’s favorites.

“She loved Arnold Schwartzenegger and Stallone,” Cheryl Merrifield said. “Their films were really action-packed and fun.”

In addition to her daughter, Cheryl, Merrifield is survived by another daughter, Kathy Rector of Chatsworth, and a brother, Lowell Argersinger of San Francisco. She also leaves her companion of more than 20 years, Ron Smith of Oxnard, film editor for the television series “M*A*S*H,” whom she loved like a brother.

She was preceded in death by her husband, who passed away more than 20 years ago.

Services will be private. Donations in Merrifield’s memory may be made to the American Heart Assn. or the National Kidney Foundation.

Arrangements are under the direction of Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home, Ventura.