Trisha Garlock, stalwart fundraiser for Marin schools, dies

Trisha Garlock, who helped raise millions of dollars for Marin school enrichment programs over more than 40 years, died Jan. 15 from complications of blood cancer. She was 78.

Ms. Garlock spent 32 years leading Kiddo, the education foundation supporting the Mill Valley School District. She co-founded Kiddo with a Mill Valley neighbor in 1982 because they were concerned about the school district cutting arts and music instruction in the aftermath of state Proposition 13, which affected property taxes.

“Trisha Garlock believed — deeply and unapologetically — that every child deserves a full, rich education,” Kiddo said in a social media post. “Not just reading and math, but music, art, dance, drama. And Trisha didn’t just say it. Trisha built it.”

Shortly before she retired from Kiddo in 2014, Ms. Garlock co-founded SchoolsRule-Marin, which supports students and foundations in all 17 Marin school districts by helping to fund programs in the arts, technology, literacy and health. She led SchoolsRule for about 14 years until last year.

“Trisha was the most incredible mentor,” said Melinda MacKaben, the organization’s executive director. “Every meeting, every email, every phone call was intentional. She believed wholeheartedly that when we come together as a community, we can do anything.”

From 1982 until last year, Ms. Garlock was responsible for raising close to $30 million for Kiddo and nearly $10 million for SchoolsRule-Marin. That included appearing in a video that was played at the SchoolsRule annual fundraising gala in 2024, despite her stage 4 lymphoma diagnosis only a few months earlier.

“The work we do today, the support we offer and the kindness we show — these are the legacies we leave behind,” Ms. Garlock said in the video. “Thank you for believing in the power of education to change lives.”

SchoolsRule had at its core a promise to distribute all of the funds on an equal basis per student, regardless of a district’s ZIP code or financial status.

Ms. Garlock was inducted into the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame in 2018. She received a Heart of Marin lifetime achievement award from the Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership in 2021.

“Her unselfish commitment and dedication has enriched and made better countless lives,” said former Marin schools superintendent Mary Jane Burke, co-founder of SchoolsRule-Marin. “She has been a blessing and gift to our public schools, our students and to the entire Marin County community.”

Susan Mathews, the executive director of School Fuel, the Novato Unified School District foundation, said that “working alongside Trisha for the last 23 years has been an inspiration.”

“Her commitment to ensuring equitable opportunities for all children was inspirational and practical at the same time,” Mathews said.

John Carroll, the Marin superintendent of schools, said, “Trisha didn’t just raise funds. She expanded our thinking and strengthened our entire education community.”

Born in Bakersfield on Jan. 6, 1948, Ms. Garlock was the daughter of Bennett and Roberta Siemon. Ms. Garlock obtained a bachelor’s degree in art history and communications at Stanford University.

Ms. Garlock earned a master’s degree in art history from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where she met her future husband, Jim Garlock, who was studying for his law degree. They were married in 1972 and moved to Mill Valley in 1973.

“She was the love of my life,” Garlock said. “She was my life partner and my favorite person. She was just so powerful.”

In addition to her husband, Ms. Garlock’s survivors include her son David of Oregon City, Oregon; her daughter Lindsay of Gualala; and three grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are pending. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made online to SchoolRule at shorturl.at/TwvqU