Quietly, she made things happen

My wife was a doer. When she saw a need and figured out how to address it, she would make it happen. In her quiet way, she helped our community become a better place to live.

Marilyn’s career in civic life began with a few bumps. Just after we were married, she and I, along with Jon and Janet Pallister, were in charge of decorating Easter eggs for the kids’ hunt at the park. We were new at this, and we figured three or four minutes for boiling the eggs was about right. Well, it turns out that when you’re cooking two dozen at a time, the time should be increased. We boiled and colored about 12 dozen eggs that day; let’s just say it got messy when the kids picked them up.  

But over the years, as the hard and good work of raising children eased, and as she gained friends and confidence, Marilyn began to emerge as a leader. She cared deeply about Boulder, and she felt strongly about working to help shape its future.