Marilyn Joan Crooks

Marilyn Joan Crooks nee Engel of Scottsdale, Arizona passed away peacefully into God’s hands at the age of 96 on Sunday August 24, 2025 at Hospice of the Valley. Marilyn was born to Albert and Florence Engel on December 18th, 1928 in Beloit, Wisconsin. She was the older of two siblings, with her brother, Richard.

She attended Burge Elementary School (K to 6), Lincoln Junior High (7 to 8), and Beloit Memorial High School, all in Beloit, Wisconsin. As a youth she was interested in sports. She and her brother would play tennis or take trips to the park nearby.

When she was in her late teens she took up Ballroom Dancing and met a friend Joyce, who became a forever friend to this day. And it was through her new friend Joyce and Joyce’s boyfriend Rol, that my mother and father were introduced to each other. They went on a blind date and eventually clicked, setting into motion a life time of memories. She graduated from Beloit Memorial High School in 1947.

Sometime after high school Marilyn worked for the Beloit Phone Co. in the complaint Department. Paul and Marilyn would visit each other’s families in Wisconsin and Illinois. Marilyn and Paul lived and worked in different states and towns. Paul also was in Naval Reserves. Paul and Marilyn became engaged on July 28th, 1950. In 1950 Paul enlisted in active duty for the Navy and served on a few different ships during the Korean War. This long distant relationship was hard on both my parents. Dad was discharged from the Korean War in 1952. My parents were married at the Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Beloit, Wisconsin on June 28, 1952. Their honeymoon was a fishing and sightseeing trip to the Idlwild Lodge in Missouri. After their honeymoon they settled into college life at the University of Illinois (Fighting Illini), where he was studying to be a mechanical engineer. After trying college for two years and missing work at Sundstrand, my parents moved back to Rockford, Illinois and my father went back to work at Sundstrand Mechanical Tools Co. Their first home was a 3 room apartment. They had 4 children between 1955 and 1961. Their second home was a 3 bedroom house. They lived in that house for 12 years before pulling up stakes and moving to a new job opportunity in the Phoenix, Arizona area.

My mother was a stay at home mom and a loving mother to all of us four kids. She would read to us and play with us. She put her children first in her life. She was even a brownie leader for our troop. She became the Girl Scout cookie coordinator for our troop. As children we would take family trips to Wisconsin for fishing and sightseeing, staying at cabins in the woods. We would visit our grandparent’s homes in Illinois. In the late 1960’s we took up camping and travelled on two trips out west. We even visited Arizona before moving to the Phoenix area. In August of 1969 my dad accepted a new job out west in Phoenix, Arizona.

We said goodbye to our family and friends and moved to Arizona. We eventually moved into a new house in Tempe, Arizona and started in new schools and a new city. My parents made a new home for us with a fresh start in Arizona. We regularly attended Methodist churches in Scottsdale and Tempe, Arizona. My dad’s coworkers became good friends and we as families went camping and hiking a lot over the years. My parents reconnected with my Dads high friends who had moved to Arizona from Rockford, Illinois and the two families became lifelong friends. When we were in High School my parents were involved in the school activities of their kids. My parents loved visiting family and friends back in the Midwest. After the four kids were raised and with two boys in the military, my parents would travel to visit our family and friends. My parents have traveled a few times all the way from Arizona to Florida. My mom would take pictures and take notes on her travels visiting different states along the way. She

loved spending time on the trips with my Dad. At home they would help out friends and family that needed help with appointments or just sitting together and talking. After my Dad retired in 1991 my Mom learned to play golf so she could play with my father who loved golfing. In 1987 they became grandparents for the first time. They would travel to California and Texas to visit their grandchildren.

In 2015 my mom had to take on the job of being a caregiver for my Dad. He ended up having Alzheimer Dementia. She lost my Dad to the disease in 2017. After being unable to live alone, my Mom moved to McDowell Village, an assisted living facility. She bloomed in that facility. She was asked to play Mexican Train Dominoes; Pinnacle; Bingo. She made a lot of new friends at the facility. She would go to the church service in the chapel. She would have breakfast and dinner with three other ladies each day. The people at the facility are very friendly. My mother will be greatly missed by her friends at McDowell Village and her family. She is survived by her three children. Catherine (David) Houk, Gilbert, Arizona; Deborah Dooley, Kingwood, Texas; Thomas (Leslie) Crooks, Sequin, Texas. She is also survived by a brother Richard (Jean) Engel. Beloit, Wisconsin. She has 6 grandchildren: Jennifer Lewis; Joshua Crooks; Billy Dooley; Olivia Alfarano; Aaron Houk; Tiffany Dooley and 11 great grandchildren. She is predeceased by her son Robert Crooks (2022); husband Paul (2017); Mother Florence (1993); and Father Albert (1980).

In Lieu of flowers, donations to Hospice of the Valley in appreciation of taking care of my mother during her last days on this earth, and donations to East Valley Hospice who helped my mom out when my father was very sick with Dementia.

Funeral Services will be held at Lakeshore Mortuary, 1815 South Dobson Rd. Mesa, Arizona.

Visitation is on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 9:00 am, with the funeral immediately following at 9:30 am. Marilyn will be laid to rest directly following the service at Valley of the Sun Cemetery, 10940 East Chandler Heights Rd. Chandler, Arizona. Burial will be at 11:00 am.