Marilyn Janet Eyre

Sept 07, 1936 – Aug. 19, 2025

On a rainy day in May of 1939, Marilyn sat on her father Clarence’s shoulders to watch the motorcade carrying King George VI and his wife Elizabeth drive slowly down Main Street in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan. She was almost 4 years old and the hard times she had been born into were coming to an end.

Marilyn was born in a tiny three-room house. She was born premature and had to be kept warm in the bread warmer above the stove. The house nestled in the dry hills, south of Moose Jaw, between Mitchellton and Galilee. These now abandoned towns were then bustling places. She was delivered by her grandmother. Her parents were Joy (née Thoman) and Clarence Mitchell. Joy was born on a farm nearby and Clarence’s family had moved from Ontario to homestead. Both lost their fathers to the harsh times. Clarence’s dad died in a storm, and Joy’s fell to the flu epidemic of 1919.

Marilyn was her parents’ first child. She grew up on the farm. As she grew bigger she did many chores. She looked after her brothers Bob and Dale and later her sisters Sharon and Dolores (Sam). She went to school first at Sugar Loaf school in Galilee, and later in Mitchellton, when she could, but with one thing and another, Marilyn never accumulated much formal education. She loved to dance and was a favourite partner at country dances. By the time her youngest sisters Debbie and Kelly were born she was starting to think of life beyond the farm.

The bright lights of the nearby city of Moose Jaw caught Marilyn’s eye. While still a teenager, she moved away from the farm for good. Moose Jaw was then, as now, a small thriving city. It was a major railway hub, manufacturing centre, and home to a large air force base. Renowned for its marching bands, Moose Jaw was nicknamed “Band City”. Marilyn moved in with her grandmother on River Street, enrolled in secretarial college and eventually got a job at the S.S. Kresge department store on Main Street. It was there that she met Robert (Bob) Eyre.

Bob was 5 years younger, red haired, smart mouthed, musical, and short an eye as the result of a bizarre golfing accident. What was not to like? He was born and raised on the south side of town and hoped to attend university in Saskatoon. They married on a freezing cold day in December of 1964 at the Zion United Church in Moose Jaw. They immediately moved to Saskatoon so that Bob could continue his studies.

Their first child, Dean Robert, was born in May of 1965. Bob found the pressures of family and school to be too much, so he reluctantly left university and got a job.

In the summer of 1969 Coral Birch was born. Not long after that Marilyn returned to work, getting a job at the glittering new Eaton’s store in the Midtown Plaza, Saskatoon’s first shopping mall. She eventually became manager of the toy department, something that Dean and Coral found to be very advantageous. Bob worked as a travelling salesman. He spent three weeks of every month on the rough roads of Northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The children grew. The family was prosperous. Marilyn, worked, and sewed, and knitted. Marilyn’s youngest sisters, Debbie and Kelly, both spent time in the family’s spare room while they went to school. There were many dinners at her sister Dolores’ acreage with her growing family. Every summer they visited Marilyn’s sister Sharon and her family in Moose Jaw, and her brother Dale and his family and her parents on the farm at Mitchellton. There were sports days and dances and family weddings. It was a busy time.

Marilyn loved caring for a varied menagerie of pets which included cats, dogs, fish, guinea pigs, turtles and more over the years. Marilyn was an ambitious and talented cook, excited by the new cuisines that were starting to filter into the meat and potato prairies. Eventually she quit her job at Eaton’s and started her own bulk spice store called Marsu Seasonings. This was the first business of its type in Saskatoon. However, change was in the wind.

In 1983 Bob accepted a transfer to British Columbia and the family hit the road for their new home in Surrey BC. Marilyn got a job back at Eaton’s and Dean started university, Coral moved to a new school and Marilyn acquired animals, including a rabbit, and for a brief period, a flock of ducks. Being in the Lower Mainland meant spending more time with Marilyn’s younger brother Bob and his family in Richmond. Marilyn was also a champion 10 pin bowler who scored a number of perfect games in the leagues.

All three of Marilyn’s grandchildren were born in 90’s. Coral’s sons, Steven and Alex came first, Steven in ‘90 and Alex in ’93. Far away in the Yukon Ariel war born in ’99. Marilyn’s father Clarence died in ’94 after a long life of hard work. He had a special connection with animals that Marilyn always shared. They were very close. He was buried with a head of ripe wheat in his hands.

The ‘90’s found Marilyn and Bob on the move again. Bob’s work took him to Alberta and they moved into a spacious house in the Edmonton suburb of St. Albert. Dean and Coral had moved on with their own lives but Steven now lived with Bob and Marilyn and they began a new round of first days of school, sports teams, and report cards.

In Edmonton Marilyn worked selling kitchen accessories, delivering newspapers, and later working at the daycare in the nearby Servus Centre, This was a job that she truly loved. She became Grandma to hundreds of children. Out and about in St. Albert, kids were always coming up to her for a hug. She must have been one of the oldest employees on the St Albert city payroll.

She was proud of her new home. She grew tomatoes and peppers in profusion, baked famous cinnamon buns and filled shelves with pickles and jams.

Then came the covid epidemic and the daycare was shut down. By the time it re-opened Marilyn’s health was not as good as it had been and she never returned to work there. At about the same time Marilyn and Bob started attending events at the St. Albert legion where they made many friends. Here they became part of a supportive community who took an active interest in their welfare. They also, famously, were so lucky at the meat draw they hey had to buy two new freezers!

Marilyn’s last years were often difficult. Money was tight. Her beautiful house had suffered over the years and she dreamed of fixing it up. She was plagued by shortness of breath. Still she helped Bob on the paper route, cheered on her favourite teams, and found little things that could give her joy. In December of 2024 she and Bob celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at the St. Albert Legion amongst friends and family.

On August 19th 2025, Bob’s 83rd birthday, Marilyn died in the Sturgeon Hospital in St. Albert Alberta. Bob was by her side as he had been for 60 years.

During the span of her life the world changed immeasurably and through it all she charted as stable, happy and loving a course as she could – she has found safe harbour at last.

Marilyn Janet Eyre (née Mitchell) is survived by her husband Robert, her son Dean (Nicole), her daughter Coral (Jean), her grandsons Steven(Julie), Alex, and her grand-daughter Ariel (Tate). She is also survived by her brothers Robert (Carol) and Dale (Evelyn), and her sisters Sharon (Andy), Dolores (Norbert), Debbie (Jim) and Kelly(Brian)

Her life will be celebrated at a public ceremony at the St. Albert Legion on Sept 10th, 2025 at 1 p.m..