Marilyn Lea Michaelson

Marilyn Lea Michaelson, 85, peacefully passed away on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center in Sun City West, Arizona.

Marilyn was born on July 25, 1941, in Hayward, Wisconsin, to Raymond Wilson Hams and Hazel Ella Roberts. She grew up in Maplewood, Minnesota, and graduated from North High School.

Marilyn lived an adventurous life, with opportunities to experience many different places and cultures. She began her career in international public service with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), serving overseas in Vietnam and Ethiopia until 1975. Stationed in Vietnam during the 1968 Tet Offensive, Marilyn demonstrated remarkable resilience while supporting vital relief efforts during the final years of the U.S. presence. In 1973, she transferred to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she continued her humanitarian work through a period of severe famine and the turmoil of the 1974 revolution before returning home in 1975.

After returning to Minnesota, Marilyn began a long career as a secretary with Honeywell. She eventually moved to Sun City, Arizona, where she continued working for Honeywell until her retirement.

Giving back to others was an important part of Marilyn's life. She volunteered at the Sun City Senior Center, where she enjoyed serving breakfast. She was also a founding member and dedicated volunteer of the Arizona Sunshine Angels, an organization she supported for 25 years. Through this organization, she helped provide support and encouragement to foster children living in group homes. Marilyn was also an active member of Unity Church in Sun City.

Anyone who knew Marilyn knew of her special soft spot for cats. Over the years, she fostered numerous litters of bottle-fed kittens and opened her home to many hard-to-place cats that might otherwise have had little chance of finding a loving home. Her kindness and compassion for animals were just another reflection of her generous heart.

Marilyn loved to travel, treasured her friends and family, and found fulfillment in helping others. Whether through her travels around the world, her volunteer work, or the many animals she welcomed into her home, she made a difference in countless lives.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond Wilson Hams and Hazel Ella Roberts; her siblings, Raymond Robert Hams and Elizabeth Ruth Groth; and her niece, Jane Marie Wood.

She is survived by her brother, Perry Lee Hams of Rice, Minnesota; nieces Jenny Lynn Nakanishi of Sisseton, South Dakota, and Barbara Jean Groth of Kenyon, Minnesota; nephew Brian Gene Groth of Pahrump, Nevada; and her longtime friend, Sandra Hurst of Surprise, Arizona.

A special thank you goes to Sandra for the loving care, friendship, and support she provided to Marilyn.

A small memorial service will be held at a later date. Marilyn will be laid to rest at Sunset Memorial Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Marilyn's life was one of adventure, generosity, and compassion. She leaves behind a legacy of kindness through the many people and animals whose lives she touched.