Marilyn McCready Little

Our beloved mother, Marilyn McCready Little died on January 21, 2025 at Park Vista Health Center in Fullerton, CA. She was born in Mt. Clemens, Michigan in 1929. Daughter of Roberta Ford McCready of Blenheim, Ontario Canada and Samuel Dudley McCready of Akron, Ohio, she also had an older brother, Samuel Dudley McCready. Marilyn grew up in Mt. Clemens spending summers at their cottages at Erieau in Canada. She and her brother raced Lightnings, 18’ World Sailing class boats.

In 1925, Marilyn’s grandfather, C.P. McCready of Akron, OH, came to Detroit to buy a 30’ speedboat from John L. Hacker. Instead, he saw the opportunity to buy the Hacker Boat Company, which he soon thereafter sold to his son, S.D. McCready. HackerCrafts were 18’ to 75’ boats made of white oak and Honduras mahogany and were sometimes referred to as the “Steinways” of boats. In 1942, the company was awarded the distinguished Army-Navy “E” for the World War II rescue boats they built for the War Department.

Marilyn was an accomplished pianist, played clarinet and was a Music major at Northwestern University where she was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. In 1952, while working for a newspaper, she met and married the love of her life, Edwin Charles Little, son of Charles Reeves Little and Frances Jones Little of Ottawa Hills, Ohio. They began their married life in northern California, then moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, finally settling permanently in Orange County, California in 1963. Marilyn dedicated herself to serving her community. She was president of Assistance League of Fullerton, a member of the Albuquerque and Long Beach Junior League, P.E.O., Chapter HU, DAR—Mojave Chapter, CSUF Music Associates, and was on the docent board of the Richard Nixon Library from its inception and helped form the Guild at USC University Hospital in Los Angeles. She even volunteered for the 1984 Olympics. She and her husband, Ed, were longtime members of the First Presbyterian Church of Fullerton, Hacienda Golf Club, and were supporters of CSUF Performing Arts Foundation.

The affiliation with DAR is through Dr. George Hunter, Captain, Lawrence Snapp, and Lt. Colonel, Thomas Paxton on Marilyn’s father's side of the family. Also, through her grandmother, Mary Alice Baldwin McCready, she is related to Captain A.P. Baldwin who served in the 6th Independent Battery, Ohio Light Artillery of the Civil War.

Her love for her family and friends was beyond measure. She is survived by her loving daughters Jane Little and Diane Little Cozens (F. Philip) and grandchildren Philip Cozens, Kaitlyn Cozens, and Natalie Cozens McCue (Nolan). She is greatly missed by all.