Marilyn Jo Fairman's Obituary
Marilyn Jo Fairman was born March 31, 1939, in Centerville, Indiana to Kenneth and Ethel McDivitt. Marilyn passed away on June 30th, 2024, at the age of 85 in Portland, Oregon with her daughter, Kelly Jo by her side.
As a young child, her parents and her moved to Berkely, Michigan when her father found work with the UAW. After moving, her parents had two other children, Mary Jane and Mark. Making her the oldest of three children. She graduated from Berkey High School in 1957.
Marilyn would say that becoming a mother was one of her greatest gifts in her life. She had three children, Michael Alan (1958), Mitchell Scott (1959), and Kelly Jo (1961). Her children were always her most important part of her life, always being a mother first and foremost above all else. Marilyn worked at Royal Oak Heating & Cooling, a pastry shop, Hollywood Super Market, Magic Needle, and JCPenney. She absolutely loved working at JCPenney’s because she got to organize and put together the displays, meet and help so many different types of people each day. She worked at JCPenney’s as a Sales Associate for 18 years, retiring in 2006. In 2009, she moved to Deer Island, Oregon with her daughter Kelly Jo and son in-law Ricky, where she would reside the rest of her life.
Marilyn had many talents and passions throughout her fulfilled life. She had many experiences traveling throughout the United States, Europe, and Mexico. One of her fondest traveling memories included swimming with the dolphins in Mexico. She enjoyed reading books, conquering puzzle books, and canning from the garden with her daughter. She always found peace and comfort with nature, sitting outside naming all the birds that would visit the house and making things out of the clouds to point out to everyone. Marilyn absolutely adored her dog Scooter, taking many walks together. Many people in her life, she embraced, and she loved as if they were her own.
She had a way with words and a true gift in writing. She would write short stories about family members and send countless letters to her children and grandchildren throughout the years. She gave all her grandchildren a nickname, which showed the absolute love and bond that she had with each grandchild. She had a love for the game of softball, playing as a young adult and playing catch with her grandchildren once they got old enough to play themselves.
Marilyn was a true believer of her faith in Jesus Christ. Always reciting “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take” each night with her grandchildren when she would visit them. Her biggest love in life was her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She will be
remembered for her unconditional love, empathy, honest advice, gentleness, and loyalty to those that she loved.
Marilyn was preceded in death by her father, Kenneth; mother, Ethel; son, Michael Alan; and son, Mitchell Scott. She is survived by her sister Mary Jane Johnson; brother Mark McDivitt; daughter, Kelly Jo Brown; her ten grandchildren, Michael (Erika) Fairman, Steve (Becky) Fairman, Jon (Catherine) Van Wormer, Randy Yaroch, Kristy Kay (Robert) Turnbull, Katie (Phillip) Garrott, Ashley (Joel) Banard, Alyssa (Kirk) Hansen, Kristi Jo (Robert) Covington, and Amanda (James) Birkland; and eighteen great grandchildren, Oliver, McKenzie, Avah, Amelia, Ford, Lincoln, Jack, Judah, Sapphira, Scarlet, SaraBeth, Ezra, AnnaJo, Ricky, Austyn, Kalley, Addyson, and Blake.
She will Forever and Always be the Wind Beneath Our Wings.
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