Marcella Meharg

Our beloved mother, Marcella passed away at home on Sunday September 28th in Hollywoodland. The second-generation Angelino began life as Rosalie Gwynne Blandino on June 28, 1930. After her mother consulted an astrologer, her birth name was changed to Marcella after the sage stated she would have “bad luck” with the name Rosalie. Throughout her life her fraternal family always referred to her as Rosalie, honoring her Sicilian roots.

Little Marcella also was given a stage name, Gwynne Danny, and learned to act, sing, tap dance and play the accordion. As a member of Central Casting, she appeared briefly in 1930s films with Shirley Temple, James Cagney and others.

She grew up on the road with singer/dancer/actress Dixie Dunbar and her family before returning to live with her mother in New York and Altadena. She attended Pasadena High, Immaculate Heart College, followed by acting studies at the Pasadena Playhouse where she earned her degree. She appeared on stage with Harpo Marx and fellow acting students/friends included Harry Dean Stanton and LA Times Theatre Critic Sylvie Drake who would become a lifelong friend.

After meeting and marrying jazz pianist/composer Forrest Westbrook in Pasadena, Marcella went to work as a thoughtful and caring social worker in Los Angeles aiding families and children in dire situations. She raised her daughters in Santa Monica and Ocean Park, before moving to Hollywood in 1971.

Taking an early retirement, Marcella worked part-time as a valued assistant for dear friend and neighbor Laura (Mrs. Aldous) Huxley. She also coordinated the Julie Harris Award for the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild for many years. In 2019, Marcella produced one of the BHTG plays, “Dance with Me” which was nominated for an LA Drama Critics award. A dramaturg for First Stage Theatre, cinematographer Haskell Wexler hired her to consult on a adaptation of Christina Garcia’s “Dreaming in Cuban.”

She was a voracious reader of fiction, The New Yorker and NY Times and completed crossword puzzles. She attended theater regularly and enjoyed traveling with and often visiting via train her eldest daughter Leslie in Santa Barbara. She played Scrabble with her youngest daughter Yvonne, who lovingly looked after her during her frail and final years. She was a wonderful and loving mother who supported her daughters in their creative endeavors as well as those of her friends.

Marcella was known for her generosity, intelligence, wit and for always offering a helping hand. She often reviewed, edited or offered notes on friend’s novels, plays or other writing projects.

Marcella was pre-deceased by her parents Johnny Blandino and Jeanne Fox, as well as her former husbands, Forrest Westbrook and Brian Meharg.

She is survived by her two daughters, Leslie Andrea Westbrook (Carpinteria/Santa Ynez Valley) and Yvonne Leigh Westbrook and many wonderful friends and admirers. We are grateful to Kevin Lopez, Joseph Rojas and especially Yvonne Leigh for their loving care during the last year of her life.

A Life Celebration is being planned for a later date.

Donations in Marcella’s memory can be made to the Pasadena Playhouse, Doctors Without Borders, Parity Productions (NYC) or charity of your choice.

https://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/support/

https://parityproductions.org/donate 

https://give.doctorswithoutborders.org/campaign/688632/donate