The Marcus Family: Equipped with Life Skills Founded in Faith
By Lani Relucio | Photos Courtesy of the Marcus Family
One of the most precious gifts parents can impart to their children is the ability to adapt positively to life’s demands and challenges. Equipping their children with life skills is something Joe and Zarena do with mindful intention. This emanates from their faith, which Zarena describes as “the core of their being.”
“I grew up in a Catholic upbringing and attended Immaculate Heart of Mary, a parochial school in Los Angeles, California since 3rd grade,” she shares. “My parents are very devout Catholics, taught the way of our faith from generations past. We teach our children to always be the best versions of themselves and to practice what they have learned from their Catholic upbringing, education, and family values.”
Joe and Zarena met while working at House of Blues in California and married after dating for six and a half years. Joe comes from a family of 3 older sisters, and parents who were very humble, hardworking individuals, dedicated to their family life. Born and raised in Texas, Joe’s work brought them back to his roots and stomping ground in 2015. Zarena describes Joe as a man of strong work ethics, an amazing husband and father, completely selfless, and one who puts his family first—a sign of his great devotion. “I was lucky enough to find a man who also loves all my extended family as his own. He is a dedicated father and husband who does more than his share in our partnership: cooks, cleans, participates, and shows up to everything we have going on. He grew up in the food and beverage operations industry, which is now his profession, and is amazing in the kitchen—I'm lucky if I even get a chance to cook!”
Zarena, on the other hand, is Rey and Zen Concepcion’s miracle child, born after several miscarriages and a still-born sister, Angela. “Though we had very little growing up, I watched my humble parents build a life for our little family—all centered on faith that God would provide us with what we needed and protect our family through our journey. Even then, my parents generously shared what little we had with others,” Zarena said. “We didn’t own a car for the longest time and walked or took public transportation to laundromats and such. Both my parents worked long hours and double shifts to elevate our life and afford a used car, then later, a modest 2-bedroom home. We lived and shared our space with both my paternal grandparents and maternal grandmother. My parents opened our home to many friends and family. There was no question—if someone needed a place to stay or start life in America, our door was always open, expecting nothing in return. It didn't matter if the stay was a day, a week or even in some cases, a year. ‘Do unto others...’ was a way of life. Prayers were mostly for gratitude and giving thanks for what we had.”
The Marcuses were members of St. Monica Parish from 2015 to 2020 and were very engaged in the community through the St. Monica School. “We enjoyed seeing school parents and neighborhood and parish families.” Recently, they relocated to Frisco, Texas, and hope to become more involved at St. Francis of Assisi Parish once all the COVID-related challenges settle down.
They have two adult children, graduated and living in California: Lauren and Kayli, and son-in-law, Michael, while their three younger children, Joseph (16), Peyton (10), and Avery (8), live at home with them.
“All our children have their own passions,” Zarena said. “Kayli and her husband are fitness fanatics, working out every day. She is a certified Yoga instructor and Human Resources (HR) professional. Our son-in-law is currently working on his master’s degree in physical therapy. Our eldest daughter, Lauren, is a Creative Director, involved in e-commerce and content design. She also runs her own business on the side at LAB Creations, creating websites and content for business owners in a variety of industries and musical artists. She is an amazing artist herself and enjoys photography, staying fit, and cooking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Our son, Joseph is a martial artist working to earn his black belt this summer. He also enjoys theatre and singing. Meanwhile, our younger daughters, Peyton and Avery, are both competitive figure skaters and dancers, also working hard to progress in martial arts.”
Their 85-pound Doberman, who believes he is a lap dog, completes the family. “We call him ‘Atlas The Great’ Marcus and his initials are purposely ATM,” Zarena said with a chuckle.
As for Zarena, she enjoys gardening. “Though not quite the green thumb that my father has, I try to learn a lot about Texas weather and gardening.” Finding the opportunity and free time to do this has been a challenge lately.
Zarena is the owner of Zarena Marcus Consulting—an HR consulting company. She also works to mentor youth, teaching them practical life, leadership, and interviewing skills. She assists 8th graders with interview preparation for their private high school admissions/interview process and preparing high school seniors for their college interviews. “I have volunteered my time assisting with mock interviews at St. Monica School for several years and revamped their format and process.”
Zarena plans to launch and extend her course offerings to other local schools. More details and information are available at www.zarenamarcusconsulting.com.
“I will also continue to devote my time supporting non-profit organizations through catchafire.com and help companies get their HR departments, processes, and policies set up,” she shared. “I value my clients very much, but at the same time, I have a strong interest in what my clients do to give back to the community because I am selective with whom I associate my reputation.”
Zarena graduated from the Holy Family High School for Girls in Glendale, California, and attended Glendale Community College and Pasadena City College. Shortly after, she launched her career as an HR professional. “I was fortunate enough to work with my mentor and dearest friend, Hope Jacobson, an Employment Lawyer, who took me under her wing. I learned from the very best. She is and will always be someone I look up to and strive to be like. She is one of the most honest people I know—humble and with a heart of gold. Because of Hope, I sought to be a mentor to others,” she said.
Always wanting to live by their family’s motto, “ALWAYS be the best version of yourself,” and “Nothing worth having was ever achieved without effort (Theodore Roosevelt),” Zarena makes sure her family thrives in balance and is engaged in meaningful activities. Aside from family road trips, which often include history lessons mixed in with fun, they use their spare time to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children, preparing meal packages for impoverished children. “I love gatherings with friends and family, traveling, arts and crafts, poetry and reading. I will always be a Lakers and Dodgers fan. Though not much of a football follower, I know enough to cheer on the Dallas Cowboys any opportunity I have. Volleyball and basketball are more my sports and I'm not ashamed to say I'm clueless when it comes to other sports.”
The Marcus family is a testament of what God’s grace can do in a family who has faith. “Our faith has helped us through every day of our lives, hardship or not. It warms our hearts to walk by our children’s room to find them saying prayers before bed,” Zarena and Joe share.
For Zarena, prayer is a daily conversation and not just an ‘ask’ in a moment of need. “Of course, this is what I have also passed on to our children.” Her favorite scripture verses are those that come from Proverbs 31:25, “She is clothed in strength and dignity, she can laugh at the day to come;” and Proverbs 2:10-11, “When wisdom comes into your heart and knowledge fills your soul with delight, then prudence will be there to watch over you, and understanding will be your guardian.” Her favorite saint is St. Sebastian, considered symbolic of the virtues and gifts of strength, stamina, perseverance, courage, and justice in the face of adversity. “Being of Filipino heritage, the novena and devotions were a part of our regular life as well as devotions to the Santo Niño,” Zarena said. The Santo Nino de Cebu is a Roman Catholic title of the Infant Jesus widely venerated by many Filipino Catholics.
The poem "A New Day" by Heartsill Wilson is a source of inspiration for Zarena:
This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is very important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving something in its place I have traded for it. I want it to be a gain, not a loss–good not evil. Success, not failure, in order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it.
To all our readers, Zarena parts with this message: “We are all here for a reason and play a part in each other's lives. Let your interaction, no matter how insignificant it may seem, be positive and impactful enough to be remembered—because it can make all the difference in someone’s given moment, their day, or even their life.”
And to the sponsors of our magazine, she is grateful for this platform that enables parishioners to share their faith stories and their voices.
This feature story appeared in print in the North Dallas Parish Neighbors and Preston Hollow Parish Neighbors Catholic Magazines - May 2022 edition. Publisher: Diane Hoyt Voirin of the Decided Excellence Catholic Media.