Marilyn Robinson McGettrick

Marilyn Robinson McGettrick March 31, 1949 – June 5, 2024 Marilyn Robinson McGettrick died suddenly at her home in Vienna, Virginia the evening of June 5, 2024. She was born on March 31, 1949, in LaGrange, Georgia, the second daughter of Margaret Estelle and Warren Tatum Robinson. She is survived by her beloved and loving husband, James (‘Jim”), two sisters, Penelope Gilles and Margaret Elizabeth Evans, and her brother-in-law, James Gilles, all of Melbourne, Florida, two nephews, one grand-nephew and three grand-nieces, and a host of cousins. Marilyn spent her childhood and early adolescence in LaGrange, before spending her last two high school years in DeKalb County and then Columbus, Georgia, where she graduated from Columbus High School. Moving to Atlanta, she met Jim in November 1968, and it was love at first sight. Although Marilyn attended Georgia State University, Jim was attending Georgia Tech and so Marilyn became very involved in activities at Tech, including being named to the Greek Goddess Court in Spring 1971. After Jim graduated from Tech in 1971, Marilyn moved to the Washington, D.C. area where he was attending law school and became an administrative assistant to a series of high-level executives at places like PBS, the Smithsonian Institution, and General Electric, including working on the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration. After working in that field for 20 years, Marilyn switched careers, going back to school to graduate from George Mason University in May 1996 with a degree in Finance. Marilyn then became a contracts administrator for several large companies until she retired. Marilyn and Jim were married on July 6, 1974, after he finished law school. They became life-long residents of Fairfax County, Virginia, just outside Washington, except for one year in southern Nevada. They were utterly devoted to each other throughout their life together. Marilyn strongly believed that people should be judged on what they did, not on who or what they were or their station in life, and she lived that ideal every day. She was open, accepting and friendly, with a ready smile for everyone. She was warm and caring to family, friends, and even strangers, well known for doing her best to talk to everyone she met about whatever interested them. Marilyn loved dogs and horses. She and Jim owned a series of small terriers who each in turn were spoiled with affection. Marilyn learned to ride horses as a young girl in LaGrange, and rode whenever she could throughout her adult life. In 2007 she purchased her beloved thoroughbred field hunter, Hank, who she had been riding for several years, and cherished the beautiful big chestnut horse for the rest of his life. Marilyn and Jim eventually fulfilled a long-held ambition and became subscribers to the Old Dominion Hounds, one of the premier mounted foxhunting clubs in Northern Virginia, and in December 2014 Marilyn received the honor of being awarded colors by ODH. Even after her active riding gradually tailed off, Marilyn and Jim were enthusiastic supporters of ODH, attending many events including Hunt Balls and the annual point-to-point steeplechase races, where Marilyn could be depended upon to prepare a sumptuous tailgate feast for her guests to enjoy. Marilyn and Jim traveled extensively during their life together, throughout the United States and also Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. They especially enjoyed the Newport Beach area of southern California, but their favorite place of all was Big Sur on the central coast of California. Marilyn loved fine dining and wine on all their adventures together. Although she left LaGrange before her junior year in high school, the LaGrange High School Class of 1967 adopted her, and she attended many reunion events with them. Jim’s Yorktown High School Class of 1967 also became very active in holding “mini-reunions” periodically, and Marilyn attended them all and made many friends among Jim’s former classmates. Marilyn lived a full and happy life, filled with love she gave and received. She had a generosity of spirit and cared deeply for those around her. She dearly loved Jim and her family and close friends, and they loved her back just as much. A memorial service and celebration of Marilyn’s life will take place on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at 11:00 am at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 6715 Georgetown Pike, McLean, Virginia 22101. A light lunch at the Church is planned to follow the service. Flowers for the service may be sent to Murphy’s Funeral Home, 4510 Wilson, Blvd., Arlington, Virginia 22203, or in lieu of flowers a donation may be made in Marilyn’s memory to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, www.trfinc.org.