Marilyn Ann Kutz O’Neill passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 21, in Fair Oaks, California. Marilyn was born and lived most of her ninety years in Fresno and Hanford. She was married for fifty-four years to Basil O’Neill, and together they raised Joan (Stephen Johnson), Brendan (Laura), Gregory and Matthew. Marilyn was a cherished grandmother to Mairead (Matthew Godfrey); Brendan Johnson (Sean); Cate (Dan Baron); Kristen (Dalton Ryken); Allison; and Matthew (Jen Peoples); and a beloved great-grandmother to Waylon, Boden and Lochlan Ryken; Spencer and Charlotte Godfrey; and Eloise and Stevie Johnson.
For more than forty years, Marilyn was also a much-loved teacher and administrator in Catholic schools in San Francisco, Hanford and Fresno. Her care for her family was equaled only by her care for her students and her commitment to her faith. Marilyn loved the first strawberries of the year, geometry, monarch butterflies, family gatherings, thistles, her many friends, and learning about just about anything. She shared her gracious smile, kindness, and deep trust in God all through her life.
A rosary at 9:30am will be followed by mass at 10:00am and reception at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 355 East Champlain Drive, Fresno, on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Visitation will be from 3:00 to 7:00pm on Tuesday, June 30, at Whitehurst Funeral Home, 836 East Nees Avenue, Fresno. The family warmly invites all who knew her to join either gathering in celebration of Marilyn’s life.
Donations in Marilyn’s honor may be made to the Seminarians Fund for the Diocese of Fresno, https://dioceseoffresno.org/supportseminarians
or to Valley Children’s Hospital, https://www.valleychildrens.org/support/donate
