King, Marilyn “Marnie:

Since her February 13, 1946 birth, Marilyn “Marnie” King’s home has almost always been Wilmington, Delaware.  She’s a 1968 Mt Pleasant High School graduate, and earned a Masters in Occupational Therapy at University of FL in Gainsville.  Summer jobs at Houston and Lewis Beach provided camps for kids with challenges to become more independent.  Marnie loved her downtown Victorian town-home to hone her Occupational Therapist skills at Delaware Curative Workshop, Alfred I DuPont Hospital for Children now Nemours Hospital for Children, even shared her expertise in Poland.

Marnie died peacefully on March 31, 2022, and is survived by sister Marjie King Saiter, married to Paul of Chesterfield MO and their 2 daughters: one niece is Jessi Shelley Clark, married to Jason of O’Fallon MO, with children Noah and Inara; and the other is Tracy Jean Pagel, married to Ken of Webster Groves MO, with children Charlie, Will, and Annie.  Jan King, her sister-in-law married to Marnie’s brother Charles W. King deceased in 1998, was also invaluable to the St Louis families for months after Marnie’s 2020 brain surgery.  Her father Charles O. King was deceased in 2010, and mother Mary Lou King was deceased in 1986.

As cancer returned, it was time for assisted living and her family is forever grateful of the many kindnesses showered on Marnie by her friends, clubs and museums.  She was admired as the person to hear their needs, create unusual solutions, achieve higher standard of excellence, and a spunky creative spirit.  Even after moving 1,000 miles away to skilled nursing in Webster Groves MO, the calls, cards, pictures, and flowers never stopped.

Marn was a dynamic member and leader of several groups.  New Sweden Centre and Iron Hill Museum describe her as a gifted artist of many mediums, who goes above and beyond expectations.  With her Stitch & Bitch and Miniatures clubs, she produced award-winning examples for Philadelphia’s Flower Shows and Museum of American Revolution, plus Delaware Art Museum.  Not only an avid collector of miniatures, of course, but fabulous minerals and rocks, tennis stamps and Christmas ornaments.

And Marn was connected to more groups.  She loved her Senior Center friends, known as the SeniorEATas while they enjoyed lunch out.  There’s a special bond with life-long Mt Pleasant friends who competed in sports together, and enjoyed reunions and girls luncheons.  Her love for east coast history was immense, including her own family tree, and she became a proud member of Daughters of the American Revolution.

Anytime we drove with Marnie in Wilmington, she’d give you a tour playing her favorite rock & roll music, particularly all things Elvis!  When she visited us, she taught her 5 great-nieces and nephews inventive games, plus sports strategies after hanging a tennis ball from a high tree limb.  Her July Egg Hunt became a treasured tradition.  Many of us remember long talks late into the night, usually with a glass of wine.

We will all miss our sister, aunt, and friend for dressing in bold colors, quirky prints, crazy Christmas sweaters, furs from fashions across the decades, unique stone jewelry collection, and love of cats especially her dear Jazzy.  So many of us admired Marnie’s hallmarks of her flair for fun — enthusiasm, energy, and endearing ways of this bright, vibrant, zest-for-life sou

If you wish to donate “In Memory of Marnie King”  memorials may be made to New Sweden Centre  PO Box Wilmington, DE 12001 For info:  colonialnewsweden.org  or to  Iron Hill Science Center  Press Donate:  ironhillsciencecenter.org