Marilyn Flaitz Andrews

Marilyn Flaitz Andrews, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and cherished lifelong member of the Houston community, passed away peacefully at her home on Sunday, the 31st of May 2026. She was 88 years of age. Born in Houston, Texas, on the 18th of December 1937, to John Means ("Jack") and Mabel Hickman Flaitz, Marilyn was known for her grace, warmth, and unwavering kindness.

Marilyn grew up in Houston, where she enjoyed an idyllic childhood that shaped her love for her hometown. At St. John's School, she formed close, lifelong friendships that reflected her loyalty and warmth. She graduated from M. B. Lamar High School in 1956, where she was honored as a Sweetheart in the school yearbook. She continued her education at Northwestern University and the University of Texas at Austin, where she found lifelong sisterhood as a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, before completing her degree at H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College in New Orleans. After graduation, Marilyn taught school in New Orleans for two years, an experience that reflected her nurturing spirit and commitment to others.

Back in Houston, Marilyn embraced motherhood with wholehearted devotion, becoming the steady heart of her home. She was a faithful homeroom mother and tireless chauffeur to lessons and activities for Edmund, Katherine, and Martha, while encouraging their creativity and giving them the freedom to explore. Family meals at home were a cherished priority, and she took equal delight in entertaining the many friends of both her children and her own.

In 1992, Marilyn married the love of her later life, Bolivar Andrews, and together they built a partnership of remarkable warmth and devotion. Bolivar stood by her side with unwavering loyalty and tenderness, especially during the final years of her life, and his love was among the greatest gifts and comforts she knew.

A devoted participant in the civic and social life of her beloved Houston, Marilyn gave generously of her time and talents to the Junior League of Houston, the Houston Country Club, the River Oaks Country Club, Bolero, and Allegro. She was also a cherished member of Linville Golf Club, and among the greatest pleasures in her later years were the summers she and Bolivar spent together in Linville, North Carolina.

It was through her passion for floral design, however, that Marilyn found one of her truest callings. She joined the River Oaks Garden Club in 1977 and remained a devoted member for nearly fifty years — just one year short of that golden milestone at the time of her passing. Through the River Oaks Garden Club and the Garden Club of America, she channeled her love of beauty and her artistic eye into a pursuit she embraced with skill and joy. She competed in flower arrangement competitions for many decades, earning numerous blue ribbons at flower shows. In 2004, she was honored with the prestigious GCA Harriet DeWaele Puckett Creativity Award, and in 2014, she received the River Oaks Garden Club Floral Design Achievement Award. She also served as a Garden Club of America Floral Design Judge, a role that reflected the respect her peers held for her knowledge and discernment. Her garden, too, was a source of happiness and pride, and her home and garden were featured on the Houston Azalea Trail. Above all, time with her grandchildren brought her the purest delight.

Marilyn is survived by her devoted husband, Bolivar Andrews; her three children and their spouses: Edmund and Ellecia Knolle, Katherine and Davis Thames, and Martha and John Charles "JC" Melcher IV; her stepdaughter, Jeannette Dickinson Andrews; her sister, Jane Flaitz DeYoung; her half-brother, George Flaitz; her seven grandchildren, Mary Margaret Knolle, Kathryn Knolle, Marie Knolle, Guy Knolle, Davis Thames, Caroline Thames, and William Thames; and her five step-grandchildren, Andrew Stewart, Dillon Stewart, Shelby Stewart, Mary Catherine Stewart, and Juliette Stewart. All of whom were a source of immeasurable pride and delight to her. She is preceded in death by her beloved parents, Jack and Mable Flaitz, and by her stepchildren, Bolivar Andrews III and Mary Andrews.

Marilyn lived her life with elegance and intention, and she leaves behind a legacy of love, beauty, and faithful friendship.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from four o'clock in the afternoon until seven o'clock in the evening on Thursday, the 11th of June, in the grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A memorial service is to be conducted at two o'clock in the afternoon on Friday, the 12th of June, in the sanctuary of St. Martin's Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road in Houston where The Rev. Martin J. Bastian is to officiate.

In lieu of customary remembrances, those wishing to honor Marilyn's memory may be directed to the River Oaks Garden Club, Memorial Fund, 2503 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77098.

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