Marilyn Joyce Maruk

In Loving Memory of Marilyn ‘Nee Kerley’ Maruk

Marilyn, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully on June 27, 2025, surrounded by family.

Devoted to her husband of almost 60 years—her forever “boyfriend”—she was a woman of warmth, wit, and creativity. Her children and grandchildren were her world, and she shared her many gifts with them: gardening, sewing, crocheting, knitting, haircutting, decorating, and dancing. She had a talent for making any house a home and turning every yard into a haven.

She loved big family gatherings full of food, laughter, and fun—ice skating, touch football, epic water fights, and late-night games of dominoes and Uno. Her brothers, their spouses, children, and grandchildren were close to her heart. So were her friends, especially her cousin Sandra, with whom she shared an unshakable bond.

An avid gardener, she lovingly placed every stone and plant, often digging holes with such determination that many a shovel broke in the process. In winter, she dreamed of spring with seed catalogues spread before her. When asked about her ashes, she simply said, “Put them around a tree or flower bed that likes alkaline soil.”

She leaves behind her loving husband, Irvin Maruk; her dear children, Cherry Schut, Todd Maruk, and Dee Dancey; her cherished grandchildren, Selena and Jocelyn Schut, and Sam Dancey; and extended family and friends who will forever carry her love forward.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the amazing community of neighbours in the hamlet of Gem, Alberta, whose care and kindness mean so much.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date (details to follow). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to support research into Necrotizing Autoimmune Myositis under Dr. May Choi at the University of Calgary by following this link: In Memory of Marilyn Maruk - University of Calgary.

Her roots remain deep. Her blooms are eternal.

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