Marillyn Gehrig

Marillyn May (Nelson) Gehrig   98  (5/10/21 - 3/31/20)

Grandmother, mother, daughter, wife, sister, aunt, friend and confidante

Marillyn was born and raised in Stillwater, MN along with her younger sister Joyce.  She attended Stillwater H.S. and graduated from the University of Minnesota (BS – Medical Technology) in 1943. It was at the U of M where she met and married the love of her life and best friend, Leo Gehrig, in 1944.  During the dozen years which followed she moved with her husband and growing family to a variety of destinations, to include: Salt Lake City, UT (‘46), Juneau, AL (‘47), Boston, MA (‘47-‘50), Staten Island, NY (‘51-‘54), and Seattle, WA (‘55-‘57).  In 1957, she and her family moved to her beloved American University Park neighborhood of NW Washington, D.C. which became her adopted home for the ensuing 53 years.  She and her husband returned to their home state of Minnesota in 2010 where they resided at Waverly Gardens in North Oaks.

Marillyn and her husband entered retirement in 1980 and they traveled the world extensively until the early 2000s. She was always up for an adventure, including parasailing in South America, fishing in the Boundary Waters with her boys, or traveling to faraway places. Some of her favorite destinations included Spain, the UK, South America, China, Canada, and North Carolina. Her ability to communicate non-verbally with a smile, a hand gesture, a wink (w/ twinkle), and a laugh always came in handy on the road.

As much as she loved her adventures, she was never happier than when she was with her family. She was a devoted wife, a loving mother to two boys, a sister, an amazing grandmother, mother-in-law and auntie, and a terrific neighbor and friend.  She was a true sports lover (golf, tennis, Redskins football), a game enthusiast and formidable competitor, a renowned cook and cocktail party hostess, and a solid dog-person. Marillyn was a woman of great faith and lived what she believed. She passed away as she had lived with great grace and a true lady to the end. She will be dearly missed by those blessed enough to have had her in their lives.

She is survived by son Mark (Lisa) of MN; daughter-in-law Michelle of FL; granddaughter Zoe (MN); grandson Mark Stephen (NC); five brothers/sisters-in-law; and twenty two nieces and nephews.  She is preceded in death by her parents Walter and Evelyn, sister Joyce, husband Leo, and son Greg.

Funeral Mass and Celebration of Life at Waverly Gardens in North Oaks, MN and interment at Fairview Cemetery in Stillwater, MN on dates to be announced.  Donations in her name to your favorite charity are encouraged in lieu of flowers.