Mary K. "Marushka" Lutz Hollen, Therapist, 71

Mary Katherine "Maru" Lutz Hollen, 71, of Drexel Hill, a retired occupational therapist, died of respiratory failure April 21 at Delaware County Memorial Hospital.

A native of Cleveland, Mrs. Hollen attended Ohio Wesleyan University, studied art in Mexico, and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan. She then served in the Peace Corps for two years in Peru [1962-64], where she married Rafael Bendezu.

After their divorce, she returned to Cleveland. In 1973, she married John J. Hollen and moved to Delaware County.

After earning a master's degree in therapeutic recreation from Temple University, she worked as an occupational therapist at Misericordia Hospital for more than a dozen years. She retired in the early 1990s.

Mrs. Hollen was a former volunteer at Delaware County Prison. She studied horticulture at the Barnes Foundation and with Pennsylvania State University's extension program, and was a talented gardener and landscaper, her husband said. She collected and analyzed fragrance samples from around the world, and enjoyed creative cooking, playing the piano, singing, painting watercolors, and taking photographs. Also a horse-racing enthusiast, she hosted an annual Kentucky Derby party.

In addition to her husband, Mrs. Hollen is survived by a son, Nick Bendezu; a sister; and her former husband.

Obituary & picture from: philly.com May 2, 2008