Marilyn Mallison Hutton

She started life as the first child of Mary and Ward Mallison in Manistee, Michigan. Her mother was a teacher; perhaps Marilyn inherited her lifelong love of learning there. Her sister Patricia came along 2 years later. Mother Mary died the following year at age 27, leaving the girls in the less-than-capable hands of their father. They had a traumatic and chaotic up-bringing – first on the family farm outside of Bear Lake, then in Lansing. Ward married two additional times, settling with a truly evil stepmother, Agnes, who brought with her a new step-brother, Gerald, who became a great friend the girls. Marilyn retained positive and loving memories of the adults who stepped into their lives at many times – neighbors who would check on them when they were left alone as toddlers, uncles and aunts who stepped in to assist, and friends of the family who reached out to provide opportunities to participate in softball & go to dances in high school. She even played in the State Championship Softball tournament. Particular friends, John & Peg Lynch “rescued” her by hiring her as governess to their children and whisking her to NYC in 1950 after she graduated high school in Lansing. The Lynches insisted Marilyn was meant to continue her education and provided financial support so she could go to Michigan State University and Grace Hospital School of Nursing in Detroit. While at MSU, Marilyn caught the eye of a TA in Chemistry, Bill (Wilbert) Hutton by asking for extra help with her Chemistry studies. In the early 1950s, nursing students were not allowed to marry, but Bill was drafted to Germany. They eloped “secretly” to Indiana in a borrowed car with enough money saved to buy a celebratory candy bar on the way home! They lived apart until Marilyn graduated in 1955 and went to work at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing when Bill was shipped overseas. She quit, and they moved to Frankfurt, Germany where they lived in a rented room and saw much of Europe when Bill was free from the ambulance service. They returned to Lansing after Bill’s service so he could finish his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry. He had wanted to teach chemistry since he was 5 years old, so as a couple they chose to take that road rather than industry. They were both very active in the American Chemical Society for decades – they would host the Hospitality room at conventions and were frequently hosts to scientists in their home, including famous researcher Linus Pauling.

Their first child, Mary (Pat & Marilyn had each pledged to name their first girl child after their mother), was born in Married Student Housing at MSU. Their son was born after Marilyn worked the summer in Denver, CO (Bill’s hometown). Bill & Marilyn then moved to Ohio - Bowling Green State University - for his first teaching job. He would teach at BGSU until 1968, minus a year at University of Illinois-Urbana in 1963-4. In 1968 he accepted tenure at Iowa State University, where they remained until retirement in 1990. Meanwhile, Marilyn worked part-time in OB/GYN and Nursery at hospitals in Bowling Green and Ames, Iowa. She also volunteered with the Red Cross in Blood Banks for many years and served as a volunteer RN with Diabetes Detection programs and Blood Pressure & Diabetes home programs in Ohio & Iowa. She took her children with her on occasion when she served

migrant populations, instilling a heart of service in her daughter as well. She was active with the American Nurses Association, National League of Nursing, and served as the state treasurer of the Iowa Nurses Association. In 1970 Marilyn left her job at the hospital in Ames to return to school to get her Teaching Certification. She spent 6 years teaching Clinical Nursing at Des Moines Area Community College. In 1978 she wanted a change from human patients and went to work for a local veterinarian with much joy! Marilyn was overjoyed when her daughter Mary (RN, Nurse Practitioner), and granddaughter Kelsey (BSN) and three other granddaughters also chose lives of service in medicine (PhD in genetics, an MD and NP) and her grandson Kevin chose teaching science (HS) like Bill.

In retirement, Bill & Marilyn moved to Denver, CO (his hometown) across from Bill’s older sister Roberta (“Donsey”). Bill had a Cardiac Arrest at home in 2002. Marilyn gave CPR until the medics arrived and Bill lived happily another decade, in which they continued traveling and visiting family and friends. Marilyn loved travel and would plan road trips to the nth degree, with side trips to factories, roadside attractions, museums and historical markers! Sister Pat and husband Duane were special travel companions for many years. Both husbands passed of heart disease eventually, and the sisters decided to live together permanently when winters in Denver went so well.

Marilyn served others all her life – in nursing and in community. She was a state officer of League of Women Voters and worked on Citizen’s Committees, Girl Scout and Boy Scout leadership, March of Dimes, camp nursing and nursing advisory positions. When Bill & Marilyn moved to Denver, they became volunteers extraordinaire for the Denver Public Library & she was honored city-wide with Volunteer of the Year. She was ‘Head Librarian’ at Canterbury Manor for 10 years.

Marilyn ‘never met a stranger’. Somehow she would know all about you after a single conversation! There were the lifelong friends she made the year in Illinois, visitors who became neighbors - from Iran, Germany, England, etc. – and they were able to travel and see many of them in their home countries and kept in touch with others. She & Bill sponsored a friend from Germany (Hans Langlois) for citizenship when they were still students at MSU. They “adopted” Philipp Moennig who, from a 5yr old neighbor became “their” high school graduate and then college graduate in Denver. Through her life she was able to travel – their son took them to India, Nepal and Southeast Asia; they visited friends in Germany & England; and traveled around the country. She made real friends with her neighbors (especially the Castro family), the folks who worked for them (handymen, financial planners, electricians, postal workers, etc.) and folks they worked with (in nursing, chemistry and volunteer jobs) who stayed close and in touch for decades. In later years she became close friends with folks at Canterbury (“The Manor”) in Bremerton, WA (12 years) where she & Pat moved to be close to her daughter and family..

Marilyn is survived by daughter Mary (Larry) of WA, grandchildren Kelsey (Joe) of London UK, Kevin (Lauren) with Ashton & Orion of WA; her son and his wife, their 3 daughters and their husbands and 2 great-grandsons. She is also survived by her sister Pat of WA and special nieces and nephews: Mary (Chuck) of GA, Mark, Wayne (Peggy) & John, and Vicki all of MI.

Contributions in Marilyn’s name may be made to Kitsap Community Resources, Bremerton Foodline, Canterbury Manor or a charity of your choice.