Marilyn Jones Rowland, a native Atlantan, passed away peacefully on Wednesday the 8th of May 2019, at her residence following an extended illness. She was the daughter of the late Leon Jones and Catherine Murray Jones. A graduate of The Westminster Schools, she matriculated to Mount Vernon College before transferring to the University of Georgia, graduating with a BBA in Marketing in 1960. Marilyn was a member of Phi Mu sorority and a sweetheart for Kappa Sigma fraternity. On the 24th of June 1960 she married her beloved late husband, Joseph Henry Rowland, Jr. In 1977 Marilyn started her career in residential real estate. She achieved numerous awards, including the coveted Silver Phoenix Award, recognizing her among the top producers for 25 consecutive years. Marilyn was proud to have worked until age 75 alongside her daughter Kelly. She and her husband were avid world travelers having seen China, New Zealand, Thailand, Switzerland and with her favorite being her trip to Africa. Marilyn was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, an Atlanta Debutante, the Buckhead Girls Club, and the So & So’s. Marilyn was a longtime member of Trinity Presbyterian Church. She and Henry had a passion for hospitality, celebrating their friends, and especially their family. She adored spending a lot of their days at their hunting lodge, Buckeye Plantation, with family and friends. Marilyn always had a mission to lend a helping hand, from relocating displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina, to her service as a member of various committees and boards throughout Atlanta. With her work through the Murray Foundation, she had a major impact on education, arts, and athletics across Georgia. Surviving are her son and daughter-in-law, Hank and Julie Rowland of St. Simons Island; daughter and son-in-law, Kelly and Tommy Boudreau of Atlanta; grandchildren, J. Henry Rowland IV, Carter Rowland, Chappell Rowland, Anna Grace Rowland, Thomas Boudreau, and Sam Boudreau. Funeral services celebrating the life will be conducted on Monday, the 13th of May at two o’clock in the afternoon in the Dobbs Chapel at Trinity Presbyterian Church. Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family Monday from one o’clock until the hour of service at the church. Interment will follow at Arlington Memorial Park. The family especially wishes to thank Marilyn’s caregivers, Ken Duke, Sandee Fuller, Melinda Fitts, and Violet Macharia for their excellent care and compassion. In lieu of flowers contributions may be directed to Shepherd Center or Grace Hospice Foundation.
