Friends: Ebbett was dedicated to community

SANDPOINT — When it comes to making an impact on a community, Marian Louise Ebbett has few equals.

A resident of Sandpoint for decades following her marriage to Harold Wayne Ebbett in 1939, Marian Ebbett passed away Monday at her home in Stayton, Ore. She leaves behind a legacy that transformed the face of Sandpoint, changing the way people walk, bike and drive through the town.

“Marian has probably had more influence on every man, woman and child in Sandpoint than any other single person I can think of,” said resident Helen Newton, who saw Ebbett as a friend, a parental figure and a fellow public servant.

Ebbett’s primary contribution to Sandpoint arrived in 1984 following her election to the office of mayor. She served a single term, guiding the town through four critical years of its history.

According to Newton, perhaps her greatest legacy during those years arrived with the reconstruction of Division Avenue.

“Before Marian, Division Avenue was basically a cow path on the edge of town,” Newton said.

It was during the Division reconstruction that Ebbett’s skill as a negotiator and a community organizer truly manifested, Newton said. The project was primarily funded by establishing a local improvement district — a system in which regional residents share the cost of new infrastructure. Securing approval for that process meant Ebbett totaled her fair share of hours outside the office, visiting people and convincing them the project was a worthy investment. She also was instrumental in wrangling grant funding to see the project to completion.

“She was a strong mayor and so connected with the community,” Newton said.

No less impressive was her ability to navigate crises. As the Division Avenue project moved forward, Newton said efforts were slowed by litigation. Ebbett worked directly with the companies involved, bringing the conflicts to a successful resolution and saving the city hundreds of thousands in legal fees.  

“She was always so calm,” Newton said. “She could really sit people down together and make them see eye to eye.”

In addition to her turn as mayor, Ebbett served on several city committees, led parent-teacher associations and spent several terms as a school district trustee. Her commitment to public service earned her a Woman of Wisdom award in 2003.

Friends of Ebbett remember her for her impeccable sense of fashion and style. As a hairdresser by profession, she rarely made a public appearance without looking her best. Newton and longtime neighbor Dick Neuder also recall her sharp sense of humor.  

“Marian was just a heck of a good neighbor,” Neuder said. “She was as close to family as a neighbor could be.”