MARQUETTE - Marilyn Ann Kahl entered eternal peace on June 30, 2009, following a nearly 20-year battle with breast cancer.
Marilyn was born in Marquette on Feb. 6, 1949, to Walter and Ann (Blemberg) Cook and was a near lifelong resident of Marquette.
Marilyn graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Northern Michigan University, receiving Bachelor and Masters' degrees in education.
Marilyn had many passions in her life including her family, friends, church, education, skiing and dance.
Family and friends meant a great deal to Marilyn from spending a summer afternoon at her uncle's camp swimming with cousins to coaching and playing church league softball to reminiscing with school chums about days in elementary and high school. She spent hours developing her daughter's interests in dance and various sports. She loved skiing with her father who she said was the most graceful skier.
Marilyn put her organizing skills to help make the First Methodist Church's Harvest Festival a success. She enjoyed singing in the gospel choir with her church friends. She assisted as an usher especially when she set her eyes on her future husband.
Marilyn's desire to teach physical education led to a bachelor's degree and she was off to Port Huron to teach at Washington Middle School where she also coached boys' tennis (one of the first cases of a woman coaching a boys' team). After three years in Port Huron, she returned to Marquette to complete her master's degree. Marilyn also taught in the Manistee school system and also St. Michael's School. Employed by the Eastern Upper Peninsula Substance Abuse Services in Marquette, she served as a prevention educator and was instrumental in creating the annual Project Graduation at the Marquette Area Public Schools. She served as director of the Marquette Planned Parenthood for one year.
She was employed with the Marquette-Alger Regional Education Services (MARESA) for about 10 years, serving as math and science coordinator and as regional school health coordinator until retiring. She presented workshops throughout the central U.P. in order for teachers to stay current with changes in the health curriculum. Her interest in physical education also led to coaching of the Whitman Elementary School and Bothwell Middle School girls' basketball teams and numerous girls' summer softball teams.
Marilyn enjoyed skiing much of her life starting at age four. She was an avid alpine skier because as she said "The going downhill is a lot more fun!" Her love of skiing led her to become a ski instructor at Crystal Mountain and at Cliffs Ridge/Marquette Mountain. She always enjoyed seeing progress in the hundreds of her students over the course of about 20 years of teaching skiing. She even encouraged her husband and daughters to ski and loved to see her oldest grandson, Walter, trying the sport. Her love of skiing and her interest in her father's 10th Mountain Division experience led to her efforts in developing the 10th Mountain Division Descendents including U.P. Chapter of which she was the representative at national meetings.
Marilyn's passion for dance began at an early age with her Grandma Millie who would play the piano while Marilyn and her brother danced. Grandma Millie also made sure that she had dance lessons. She began her dance teaching career about 30 years ago giving lessons in the Baraga Gym for the Marquette Recreation Department. Interests in dance and physical education resulted in being a long time member of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) and the Michigan Chapter (MAHPERD). She worked tirelessly to create the first National Dance Association Honor Society for high school students in the U.P. and in the nation with students from Ishpeming, Marquette, and Negaunee high schools. Recently she helped to create the first Middle School level of the Honor Society. She and her Honor Society students traveled twice to Tampa, Fla., taking part in the Outback Bowl's halftime program, took part in numerous Just 4 Kix Dance Camps, and provided dance workshops for local youth that might not otherwise had an opportunity to try dance or had physical challenges. She served as advisor and coach to the Marquette High School Dance Team. Marilyn received numerous dance and education awards and the most cherished were the 2003 Michigan Dance Teacher of the Year from MAHPERD, 2005 National Dance Association's Presidential Citation for her tireless efforts in developing the high school level of the Association's Honor Society, and the 2008 Edward Sloan Prevention Award for long time efforts to reduce teen substance abuse and violence.
Marilyn is survived by her much adored and respected parents, Walter and Ann Cook; brother, Dan (Marilyn); and sister, Margaret (Jay) Ellis. Also surviving are her husband of 20 years, Bob; and two daughters, Sarah (Lucas) Erickson and April (Justin) Nadeau, as well as two much loved and rambunctious grandsons, Walter Kahl and Aiden Erickson; and one very new arrival grandson, Daniel Leif Erickson; and a loving cat, Shadow. Also surviving are much loved aunts, uncles and cousins almost too numerous to count. During her last months, Marilyn much appreciated the care provided by Lake Superior Hospice and her family and friends, as well as the many visits from her dear friends and work colleagues.
Friends may call at the First United Methodist Church, Marquette, on Monday, July 6 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Funeral services will be held in the church on Monday afternoon at 1 p.m. with Rev. Steven McCoy officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to either the United Methodist Youth Fellowship at the First United Methodist Church of Marquette or to Lake Superior Hospice of Marquette.
The Swanson Funeral Home is serving the family, where condolences may be expressed online at www.fassbenderswanson.com.
