Marilyn Jeanette Wilson

Marilyn Jeanette Wilson, age 86, of Lake Orion, Michigan, passed away on November 28, 2025. She is survived by her loving children, Kelly Kenneth (Ann) Wilson, Kathy Denise (Mark) Burgess, and Kris Lynn (Brian) Harcek; siblings, Jeannine Novotny, and Doug (Bonnie) Deabler; and brother-in-law Tracy Sibley; adoring grandchildren, Sarah Burgess, Katie Burgess, Haley Wilson, Ashley Hardy, Kelsey Hardy, and Miranda Johnson; and great-grandchildren, Abby Moore, Joey Moore, and Paisleigh Hardy. Marilyn is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 35 years, Herbert Dean Wilson, and her parents, Kenneth and Sophia Deabler. 

Marilyn was born in 1939 in Romeo, Michigan.  Her early years were spent on the family farm in Capac, Michigan, with her parents, Kenneth and Sophia Deabler, siblings, Jeannine and Doug, and beloved animals, including the infamous horses, Sugar and Sheba.  The family relocated to Lake Orion, and Marilyn graduated from Lake Orion High School.  She went on to earn her degree from the Pontiac Business Institute in 1959.

Mutual friends, Mack and Bonnie Clouse, introduced Marilyn to Herbert Wilson.  They fell in love and married in February of 1963.  They welcomed Kelly in 1963, Kathy in 1965 and Kris in 1968.  Marilyn was a caring and involved mother whose patience never thinned, and love never waned.  She worked various jobs throughout the years, but she dedicated the majority of her time to her family.

She welcomed any animal that showed up on her stoop - usually dogs and cats, but sometimes an opossum and skunk were among them.  When they didn't find her, she found them through her volunteer work at the Michigan Animal Rescue League. Peanut and Duffy were a few of the animals she adopted from the shelter.  She shared her love of animals with her children, who never turn their backs on a creature in need.

Marilyn was overjoyed to welcome her grandchildren, Sarah, Katie, and Haley, in the early 2000s.  She was heavily involved in their lives, attending every school function, chasing down stray buses, going to pumpkin patches, and seeing Santa and the Easter Bunny every year.  She went on every vacation, excited to follow her daughter, Kris, wherever they went, and made sure to be there for every occasion.  She was all a grandchild could ask for, encouraging a love for animals, a kindness towards all living things, academic curiosity, and a pursuit of anything they loved.

Marilyn spent her summers on the shore of Lake Huron with her family, where their cabin was alight with MASH and Murder She Wrote reruns.  There was always a dog underfoot, and sand was always where it shouldn't be.  They would search for ships on the horizon line and visit lighthouses along the coast.  She would often play cards and put together puzzles with the family, split a drink with her partner in crime, Kathy, and laugh at her troublesome grandchildren as they squabbled.

Later in life, Marilyn engaged in more solitary pursuits.  She was an avid reader of mysteries and romances alike, there was never a room without a book in it.  You could often find her walking her dogs around the neighborhood or bebopping around town in her red Vue.  She had a knack for genealogy, with a record of family lineage going back centuries, solving mysteries of her very own.  With this, she had an impressive knowledge of computers that surpassed that of her children,.  Marilyn also had a staunch fascination with myths and legends, keeping up to date on any Bigfoot sighting news and reading nearly everything published on the subject, a lover she shared with her son, Kelly.

Her home was never empty.  Between the animals, kids, and grandkids, there was never a day without joy and warmth. Marilyn will be remembered for her quickness to laugh, kind heart, sharp wit, warm hugs, and her steadiness when navigating rough waters.  She will be early missed.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 8, 2025 at Lake Orion United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service.  In lieu of flowers please make a donation in memory of Marilyn to the Michigan Animal Rescue League.