Marilyn Louise Troutman Heiler

When Marilyn L. Heiler walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Marilyn was and how she affected those around her. Marilyn was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Marilyn wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Marilyn was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life. She was the daughter of Clarence and Anne Troutmann. Marilyn was raised in Lockport Township. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Marilyn might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Marilyn was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her. Marilyn was raised with five siblings. She had three brothers, Clarence, Larry and Jimmy, and two sisters, Marcy and Babe. Marilyn was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Marilyn was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Marilyn well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her. As a young girl, Marilyn was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Marilyn was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Marilyn particularly loved horseback riding. Marilyn had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover. During her high school years, Marilyn responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from Lockport Township High School in 1961. Marilyn was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. For Marilyn, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Marilyn a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. She loved singing in the high school choir. Marilyn married her seventh, and last, husband, Arthur Heiler, on September 19th, 1992. Marilyn’s skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Arthur’s needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Marilyn was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Marilyn, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Heiler home. Marilyn’s skill at understanding her children’s feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Marilyn was blessed with three daughters, Ann-Marie Parmann, Marcia Haley and Justine Forester. She was also blessed with seven grandchildren, Kyri-Ann, Georgetta, Jeffery, Justine, CJ, Daniel and Ava. Marilyn was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was bartender. Marilyn was enterprising and inventive, and hard work seemed to energize her. Marilyn had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Marilyn’s fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor. Because Marilyn loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, but her favorite pastime was playing Scrabble. Marilyn had a knack for being able to multi-task, but her ever-p