Marie Katherine Wilson

and woman of faith, passed away on November 22, 2025.

Marie was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1930. Her life’s journey included time living in Scotland, Canada, Taiwan, several decades in New York City and most recently as a resident at Willamette View, a senior community in Portland, Oregon. There, she moved through independent to assisted living to memory care, and has now graduated on with honors — as was her goal throughout her academic studies and life! That life, lived over 95 years, is a testament to the possibilities and challenges encountered by women of the twentieth century: balancing family and career; earning equality in rights, respect, independence and empowerment; and, navigating a life of faith in concert with an increasingly secular society.

Marie, Rudolph and Marie Graf’s only child, was born in April of 1930. She was not included in that year’s Census though, as the census taker’s visit fell on April 9th, and her mother was at the hospital giving birth. While Marie was a child of the Great Depression, she grew up to be a young woman able to attend Douglass College in NJ, where she earned her degree Phi Beta Kappa. She married Donald Wilson in 1954, and for the next twelve years accompanied and partnered with him during his theological training, pastoral development and missionary work for the Presbyterian Church, all while giving birth to four children: in Edinburg, Scotland (Peter), Quebec, Canada (Sara), and Taipei, Taiwan (Rebecca and Mark). Returning to the U.S. in 1967, the family settled in New York City, near City University of NY and Columbia University, where Marie earned two subsequent Masters degrees in Library Science and Adult Education. She then spent twenty five years as the full-time librarian of the Calhoun School serving grades K-12 on the Upper West Side, while at home she raised and launched their four children onto college and professional careers of their own.

Throughout her New York years, Marie’s spiritual home was at the Riverside Church. There, she engaged with the progressive activism of Riverside: supporting the Civil Rights Movement, opposition to the Vietnam War, antinuclear proliferation, and promoting women’s issues. Marie was particularly committed to the proactive inclusion and welcoming of new members and visitors across the diverse spectrum of people that live and pass through New York. She served many church communities, sang in the Gospel Choir, led the development of the Riverside Church Library, volunteered for the Food Pantry and committed herself to Maranatha, Riverside Church’s organization of GLBT members, in honor of her own two gay sons.

In the 1990s, Marie experienced the sorrow of divorce balanced by the blessings of grandchildren, Matthew, Christopher, Mariah and Sam. Marie would not remarry, and instead embraced her evolution into a confident and independent woman, utilizing her intelligence, humanity and capability to serve on and run committees for both Riverside Church as well as her sizeable apartment complex, Morningside Gardens, that included six separate high-rise buildings. And, as a self-described “professional volunteer” in her retirement, Marie enjoyed furthering her world travel and cultural experiences. There were so many, but home-building projects with Habitat for Humanity in Central America and South Africa and her attendance and participation in the UN’s 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing, China in 1995 stand out.

Marie is known to some by other names, like Grandma and Gramarie. Her four grandchildren were the recipients of her great love and the source of great pride: Most recently, Matt and Jess blessed her with two great-grandchildren, Autumn and Lorenzo. They will all miss her “great/grandness.”

This week of Thanksgiving we are grateful that our mother has passed peacefully in her sleep and is now with her God. The four of us, Peter, Sara, Becky and Mark, have been with our father, Donald, sharing Thanksgiving with the Bruns family in Portland and lovingly remembering Marie. We welcome your prayers and kind thoughts at this time to honor her beautiful spirit.

With love and gratitude,

Peter Wilson, Sara Byrne, Rebecca Bruns, Mark Wilson

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Marie. Two of her favorite charitable organizations are Church World Service and Habitat for Humanity.

A remembrance service for Marie will be held at a time that allows for planning and preparation. Details will be shared in advance of the date.