Marilyn Anita Gattis

Marilyn Smith Gattis, born April 12, 1937, in Rome, Georgia, went to be with her Savior on the evening of August 20, 2019. Her final days and hours were spent wrapped in the love and care of her closest family members. Marilyn was 82 years old and was blessed with a lifetime of love and happiness.

Marilyn was professionally accomplished. Prior to retirement, she worked as a general contractor and was the owner and president of MSC Construction Company, Inc. Marilyn was skilled in property management and was also employed for a time in the office at Rome Middle School. During her spare time Marilyn often volunteered for the Hospitality House in Rome, was active in the Rome Business and Professional Women’s Club, participated in the Rome Clean Community Association, and was a member of the Red Hat Society. Marilyn was once distinguished as the recipient of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. She was smart, savvy, capable and had a heart full of compassion. She was well admired by all she encountered, whether through business interactions or her involvement in the Floyd County community.

While her professional and volunteer efforts were impressive, Marilyn’s greatest accomplishment was her ability to love and nurture. Her children remember her as being a devoted parent with a gentle touch and a tender spirit who provided them with an ideal childhood through her unconditional love and fierce protection. Marilyn was affectionately known as Mimi by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Those generations will remember her as a doting caregiver who always made them feel special and cared for during moments both mundane and extraordinary. In her absence, Marilyn leaves a wealth of memories rich in love, laughter, joy, and comfort. Those memories will forever serve as a precious connection to “Mimi” as time passes without her here.

Marilyn’s disposition was almost always one of elation. Her laughter was nearly constant and was certainly contagious. She was a vibrant fountain of happiness and optimism. She was a faithful Christian and an active member of the Meadowdale Baptist Church. She saw the best in every person and every situation, and she prayed for those she loved and anyone she believed could benefit by being lifted to the Lord in prayer. Marilyn’s characteristics should not only be admired but should be emulated by us all.

Marilyn is survived by her husband of 32 years, Michael S. Gattis, her children, Gregory Cranford (Cheri) of Nashville, Tennessee and Tara L. Nolan of Rome, Georgia, her grandchildren, Corey Nolan, Russell Nolan (Griffin), Nicholas Nolan (Emily), Ashlyn Jones (Daniel), and Hunter Cranford, and her sister, Patricia Avery. She also leaves behind three great-grandchildren, Branch, Kaya, and Asher Nolan, along with several nieces, nephews, and extended family members. She was preceded in death by her parents, Grace Payne Mull (1980) and Dallas Turner Smith (1966), and her beloved son-in-law, Jefferson David Nolan Jr. (2015).

Daniel’s Funeral Home, 901 E. 2nd. Ave., Rome, Georgia, has been entrusted with Marilyn’s arrangements. A visitation will be held at the funeral home on Saturday, August 24, from 10 A.M. until 12 P.M. with a service celebrating Marilyn’s life to follow immediately. Dr. Steven Pearson, formerly of Meadowdale Baptist Church, will be presiding and pallbearers will include Corey Nolan, Russell Nolan, Nicholas Nolan, Hunter Cranford, David Gattis, and Tony Gattis. After the service, there will be a public procession to Oaknoll Cemetery for interment. Marilyn will be incredibly missed, but the impressions she left on her community and family will remain with those who cherish her in their memories throughout their lives.