Marilyn H. Kistler

Marilyn H. Kistler, age 80, of St. Louis, Missouri passed away early in the morning on Sunday, January 19, 2025, surrounded by her family. She was born in Brownsville, Texas on May 15, 1944, to Ernest and Jane (nee: Lincoln) Hoffsten. They have preceded her in death, as have her siblings: Robert Chamberlain (Josephine) and Dr. Phillip Hoffsten (Peggy survives). Marilyn is survived by: her husband of 58 years, Dr. W. David Kistler, Jr.; her sons: John (Susan) Kistler, Mark Kistler, James (Sharon) Kistler; her grandchildren: Matthew, Joseph, Ella; nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

Marilyn had a good heart and a kind soul from the very beginning, she went to nursing school so she could help people and loved talking with anyone and everyone about anything that troubled them. She was a devoted wife to David and mother to her three sons teaching them all about life with her wide range of hobbies, including reading all types of novels, art and cultural events, experiencing travel and new cuisines, music and crafts. She packed the family up to go to King Tut’s exhibition in Chicago, the World’s Fair in Knoxville, craft camp in Colorado, the Art Museum in Chicago, and the Smithsonian in Washington DC, she was determined to share the best experiences life could give her with her family.

Marilyn was a devout Christian and a member of Kirkwood Presbyterian Church where she would volunteer to help when she could. Everything Marilyn did, she was all-in and she gave her full attention toward. David and Marilyn bought a Medical Practice in Clayton in 1973 and were together helping take care of their patients from 1973 to 2016. Even at home after work, Marilyn would have a massive outside flower garden filled with all the plants she could find. She would enlist her sons to help move the plants where she wanted them and would spend entire weekends making the outside of the house beautiful. When the weather turned colder, she would crochet or embroider a gift for someone in their favorite colors, everyone got a cap, scarf or blanket, sometimes more than one.

Marilyn laughed easily and had a great sense of humor and would spread joy to all those around her. Toward the end when her memory was failing, she was interested in Genealogy and finding out about her family’s history. Marilyn and David would spend time with her son talking about her family and filling in the family tree and what she remembered about them. Her face lit up when she was able to see other people’s pictures of her relatives and she would smile and talk all about her childhood and the dogs, cats, and horses that she had. David wouldn’t let her keep any horses, so Marilyn made up for it with a house full of plants and pets and she loved them almost as much as she did the people in her life.

In lieu of flower please make any memorial contributions to the American Heart Association or the charity of the donor's choice.