Marilyn was born in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1951. She graduated from Wadsworth High School and the University of Akron, and later added a graduate degree from Kent State University. After beginning her professional career in education in 1974, she shared her gifts for teaching and advocacy with the Akron Public Schools system for 34 years, serving as a Special Education teacher at several schools from 1983 until she retired from the classroom in 2006. She then served as the Music Alive Coordinator for 91.3 The Summit (WAPS-FM) until 2017.

Her hobbies were as eclectic as she was, ranging from ferret rescue to zealous support for the LGBTQ community. She loved going to Cleveland Indians games, and attendants in her favorite parking lot near Progressive Field (she still called it The Jake) saved good spots for her familiar yellow car. Friends and family will treasure memories of her family-recipe barbeque sauce, her colorful high-heels, and her fondness for bold necklaces.