Marilyn (Tauchman) Grohman

Known as “Cookie” to her father, she was born in 1931 in her grandparents’ home in Tulsa, OK during a tour with her father’s band. She was a studious and accomplished child, raised in Chicago, IL during WWII in an apartment below the L train. She spent her teenage years in San Antonio, TX on Brooks Air Force Base where she served as President of the Harlandale National Honor Society, studied classical piano, and was awarded high marks in the National Piano Playing Auditions.

Her career included various clerical, statistical, and computer system analyst jobs, with over 12 years with the Directorate of Special Weapons at Kelly Air Force Base. She was awarded many Outstanding Performance Awards for the positions she held, including a coveted promotion to a Computer Systems Analyst in 1974.

At Kelly Air Force Base, she met and married Fred Grohman, her beloved husband of over 44 years. Together, they raised their blended family of seven daughters in a household dedicated to the Lord. In retirement, they enjoyed traveling as “Grammy and Grampa,” visiting their children and grandchildren during the hot Texas summers as members of Campers for Christ.

Marilyn also loved reading, crafting, quilting, drawing, crocheting, playing games, and offering spiritual guidance through any ministry opportunities.

Following her husband’s passing, Marilyn spent her twilight years living with her daughters, playing hymns on her piano, writing scriptures, reading, storytelling, and praying in the company of her lap dogs. Those who knew her would say she was both gentle and steadfast, with a quiet wit, determined spirit, and a servant’s heart.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband, Fred Grohman, her parents, Marian and John Tauchman, her daughter Lori Lampus, and her daughter Melanie Grohman. She is survived by her daughters, Linda Amshey, Joni Watkins, Barbara Biemer (Larry), Carol Strickland (Tim), Wendy Ross (James), and son-in-law (Sam Lampus), as well as 22 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.

She also leaves behind unfinished dominos matches, well-read books, innumerous journals, her witty stories, the cabbage and dumplings recipe passed down from the old world, and an empty chair where her faithful pets will wait for her. She will be deeply missed.

Please join us in commemorating Marilyn’s life by adding a story or photo for the family to cherish by using the "Add A Memory" tab below.

In consideration of covid safety, a graveside funeral service is scheduled for Thursday, January 27th at

12:00 pm at Sunset Memorial Park & Funeral Home, 1701 Austin Hwy, San Antonio, TX 78218. Pastor Phil Thompson will officiate.

The service can be attended virtually at https://vimeo.com/event/1753978.

Flowers for the service or family can be delivered to Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home & Cemetery, 14501 N Interstate Hwy 35, Pflugerville, TX 78660, 512-251-4118 so that they can be transported to the cemetery for the service.

A memorial donation made to the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, would greatly honor Marilyn’s passions & faith: https://www.ifcj.org

~ This tribute to Marilyn was written by her granddaughter, Angela Pascale ~

When Grammy passed away, the first image that passed through my mind was her hands. She cared about her hands, and she kept her nails painted beautifully until the very end. I remember her hands sewing, playing the piano, praying, writing, and holding my hands. She was a hard worker and she had a busy mind and busy hands. She could never sit still. She visited my home once and rather than relax, she begged for a house project that she could complete. So I gave her curtains to hem, and blankets to mend; and she taught me how to back-stitch, and she told me stories about her mother’s busy hands, and she observed my busy hands as a first time mom.

In the time since she’s been gone, I’ve been immersed in the story of her life. I’ve spent hours with the memories of her. I’ve read the poems she wrote as a hopeful youth. I’ve poured over photos and journals of her experiences as a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. I’ve been gifted with the memories shared by her friends of how she supported and loved them over more years than I have even been alive. Out of this a complex person emerged that is not exactly the Grammy I knew. Some of us knew her as a matriarch, while others knew her as a friend or neighbor; some met through church, while others met her on her travels. She was as a youth molded in the shadow of a world war, a part of a pioneering generation of working moms, a world traveler, and a great-great-grandmother navigating Facebook to stay connected during the isolation of a global pandemic. Through her 90 years of life, no one probably ever knew the whole person. Instead, we each experienced a few intriguing chapters of a long, interesting tale, and we will each remember her differently.

As for me, I will remember thrift store shopping, dominos games, forgotten cookies, bike riding on camping trips, story-telling, piano playing, family Christmases, and her laughter, love and affection. I am grateful for the past few years we spent as neighbors and the memories my daughter, Olive, will have of taking her great-Grammy to the library, swimming together, story times and game days. Grammy’s love of costume jewelry, frill and fancy will be safe with Olive! And, I will be a keeper of her story and memories now, which isn’t a role I realized I would have, but rather an honor passed down through countless hours of holding someone’s hands, and knowing you’ll never forget them.