Marilyn Jean Gardner

Marilyn Jean Gardner was born to Olive and Frank Laughlin on February 11, 1934 in Jamestown, ND. She was the seventh of eight children – three older half-siblings, Glen, Toreva and Marietta Mathison and 4 immediate siblings, James, Dorothy, Owen and Martell Laughlin. She passed away peacefully on April 21, 2019, Easter. She is survived by her son Shawn, daughter in law Kazuko, grand daughter Amy and her brother James.

Marilyn’s father, Frank Laughlin, passed away when she was just five years old. Shortly thereafter, her mother moved Marilyn and her four siblings to Washington State where the three older Mathison children were already living. Then, when Marilyn was nine her mother married Charles Klundt, who would prove to be a loving and supportive stepfather.

She graduated from Yakima High School in 1952 where she was homecoming queen her senior year.

On Feb. 9, 1957 she married Paul Gardner and moved to Seattle. They had a good marriage and were very devoted to each other until Paul passed away in July 2000.

Marilyn, Paul and their son Shawn moved from Seattle to Idaho Falls, ID in 1965 and for Paul’s work. They returned to Seattle in 1970.

Marilyn eventually went to work as a bookkeeper for a fledgling property management firm, Pacific Management, where she remained till she retired in her 50’s.

In the summer of 2009, Marilyn suffered complications from hip surgery. She had a series of small, or ischemic, strokes during surgery and, as a result, had significant short-term memory issues. In the fall of 2009, she moved to Portland to live with her son’s family.

Several years later, Marilyn’s short-term memory issues progressed to dementia and Alzheimer’s. At that point, her health care needs required additional support and she moved into an assisted living facility, that also had a memory care wing, in West Linn, OR. She remained at Tanner Springs Assisted Living till her passing on Easter.

Marilyn was a kind-hearted, loving and devoted wife. She was a terrific mother who loved and supported her family unconditionally. She was intelligent, she was elegant, she was outspoken, she was opinionated, she was independent, she was stubborn, she was protective, she loved animals and she was gregarious to a fault.

She loved people without reservations or conditions or basis. And, in the end, that was one of the greatest gifts she gave her family – to see past labels and assumptions and to just see and appreciate people for who they were regardless of race, religion, culture or belief system.

Most of all Marilyn was personable and fun loving. She loved to tease in a gentle and very humorous way that just made you feel like you were part of the family.

Marilyn loved her family passionately and in return she was loved passionately. She will be sorely missed. Her family knows she is with her husband now and that they both will walk beside them no matter where their path may take them.

Her Celebration of Life services will be held at 2:00 PM on May 25th at her nephew’s church, Generations Community Church, in Marysville, WA.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers that you make a small donation to Dog Gone Seattle at https://www.doggoneseattle.org/donate/.