Marilyn Jean Sweet

Marilyn was born in Bluffdale, Utah to George and Julia (Casper) Miller, and grew up in the greater Salt Lake City area. Small yet mighty and the youngest of five siblings, Marilyn learned how to command the attention of a room at a very young age. Marilyn graduated from East High School in 1950, and stories of spending her younger years participating in beauty competitions, making the boys swoon, and taking road trips to Wyoming were some of her favorites to share, second only to the tales of Vegas trips and seeing Frank Sinatra with her girlfriends in the late '50s. She knew how to have fun, and brought a contagious energy everywhere she went.

After the passing of her first husband Mickey Culleton in 1963, she married Tom Bent in 1966 and moved from Salt Lake City, Utah to San Jose, Calif., in 1967. After seven years in California, they moved to Portland, Ore., and spent another 22 blissful years together until Tom's passing in 1996. Marilyn spent her career as an executive assistant and retired from the Oregon Department of Revenue in 1997. Marilyn married John Sweet in 2002, and they made sure to make the most of their golden years together until his passing in 2019. Much of their retirement was spent spending time with loved ones and taking their Mustang out for road trips throughout the West Coast, typically with a casino being the final destination. Their favorite time of day was happy hour, where (weather permitting) they loved to enjoy a 5 p.m. "cheers" on their back patio. This routine was sacred, and anyone who happened to be visiting was always welcome to join in.

Marilyn is survived by her son, Michael Culleton (Julie); stepsons, Mark Sweet and Steve Bent (Sandy); grandchildren, Kelly and Carter; several nieces and nephews; and many friends who loved her as if she were family.

Marilyn had a love for life that never faltered. She was classy, gracious, and kind, and was the type of person who could make anyone feel welcome. She reminded us that life was too precious to sweat the small stuff.