Marilynn Elizabeth Mackson

MACKSON, Marilynn Elizabeth. Our beloved Mimi passed away at home, as was her fervent wish, on August 30 with her youngest son, Jeffrey, at her side. She is survived by her daughter, Deborah Jean (Hicks)(Frank); her sons, John Frederic (Joan), David Chester (Rachel), Michael Joseph, and Jeffrey Phillip; her son-in-law, Charles Wiley Lootens; her sister, Coralynn McIntee (Pat); eleven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. She is predeceased by her husband of 61 years, Chester John Mackson; their beloved daughter, Coralynn Valeria (Lootens); and her brother, Frederic Goodrich.

Marilynn was born in Albion, Michigan on August 26, 1922 to Coralynn Hafford and Frederic Goodrich. She grew up in Albion, graduating from high school as valedictorian of her class in 1940. She then went on to Michigan State College where she earned a BA in Interior Design, graduating with honors in 1944. At the time of her graduation, WWII dominated the country, and she was recruited by the Army to join the Signal Corps. She went to Washington DC and worked as a decoder. At the end of the war, she returned to Michigan and married Chester Mackson whom she had met while they were both students, working in the kitchen of Williams Dormitory. Their wedding took place in Albion on November 2, 1946, at the home of her Hafford grandparents. Grandfather Goodrich officiated.

In her 98 years, Marilynn saw the world change dramatically—from the Bakelite telephone to the internet; from radio to HDTV; from the Tin Goose to the 747. And then there were six children over 17 years! Family was extremely important to her. She greeted the arrival of each child, grandchild and greatgrandchild with love and joy. Her quiet, strong center kept her family united through the ups and downs of the decades.

One thing that didn’t change, however, was her Spartan spirit. She followed the MSU football and basketball teams with excitement and great loyalty. She was loyal, as well, to her Detroit Tigers—rarely missing a game.

She was a beautiful woman, with an impeccable sense of style—she dressed with care for every occasion, even if it was a day at home. At the same time, she was a master of the “one-suitcase” excursion. She had an adventurous streak and traveled extensively in Europe and Asia. Loving to travel, she set herself the goal of riding in every type of air-borne machine, which she did, finishing up in a hot-air balloon at the age of 80.

A voracious reader, she regularly visited the local library and at 97 she was still a member of her local book club. She often recommended titles to family and friends.

She always had a lovely garden, usually rather wild, unlike her husband’s, whose plants marched in rows and were color coordinated! Toward the end of her life, she became intensely interested in birds. She had multiple feeders which she monitored carefully and with a great deal of pleasure.

Her memorial will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in East Lansing on September 16, 2020. Visitation will be from 9-11 a.m. There will be a funeral Mass beginning at 11 a.m. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery in Albion at 3 p.m.

Remembrances can be sent or emailed to Gorsline Runciman Funeral Home in East Lansing, Michigan. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Chester and Marilynn Mackson Scholarship Fund at the MSU School of Packaging. To donate: visit givingto.msu.edu type in “Mackson”.