When God made Marilyn, he certainly made one of the best! She was always ready with a giving heart, a kind word and warm hug for everyone!!! Marilyn “Jo” McIntosh was born June 19, 1936 and passed away on Sept 25th 2014 at the age of 78 surrounded by her loving family. She was preceded in death by her parents Chuck and Wilma Fraser and a younger brother Robert Fraser. Marilyn was born and raised here in Spokane and graduated from West Valley High in 1954. She lived on the family farm north of Millwood and loved animals, particularly horses. She was an excellent rider. Marilyn attended Washington State College (not yet a University) and was a member of the Delta Zeta Sorority. Mid-way through her 2nd year at Pullman, Herb and Marilyn became engaged and Marilyn moved home to “prepare for a wedding”. Marilyn and Herb were married February 2nd 1957 at Millwood Community Presbyterian Church and celebrated their 57th anniversary this year.
Herb’s career was with General Motors Acceptance Corporation and this involved numerous moves first to Moses Lake then back to Spokane followed by moves to Anchorage, Alaska; Oakland, California; Melbourne, Australia; and finally back home to Spokane at Christmas time 1975. Marilyn was a great organizer including coordinating each of their moves, handling social events and neighborhood functions! During the flight to Spokane from Melbourne, she “doodled” the design of a possible home .Upon arriving in Spokane, they used this drawing as the floor plan for their new home built on family property, referred to as “Fraser Hill”, overlooking the City and Valley. As their home was being finished and preparations started for a barn, Marilyn, Herb and their three daughters cut and burned trees to make room for a horse pasture. The girls had a horse in the pasture about the time their home was finished which was followed by getting chickens, ducks, rabbits and a cat to go with our dog “Robin” that we brought back from Australia. Marilyn was soon involved with 4-H and was one of the founders of the “Corral Critters” horse club which is still active. She also was very involved with Hutton Settlement where she touched the lives of many special children as well as with her church, Millwood Presbyterian, where she was a Deacon and Sunday School teacher. Hundreds of children called her “Grandma Jo” as she led Girl Scout Troops for her granddaughters and provided craft projects for most Youth Groups and other church functions.
Marilyn was a very devoted wife and an outstanding mother and grandmother who inspired her family to be achievers grounded in Christian values. She never went a day without helping someone or encouraging them. Her favorite times were with children where she always had a game or song for entertainment! She often could be heard saying “Count Your Blessings”! Granddaughter Maria wrote of her grandmother: “You have a kindness I have never seen matched in another person except maybe your daughters. It wasn’t a sense of giving just to give, or caring just to care. It wasn’t out of sense of duty or desire to be right. You had an opinion about everything and your opinion was that others should come first and that was that. Whether it was trading pinochle hands with me, taking kids from Hutton Settlement to church or doing nice things for my teachers, it was a kindness that flowed from your personality…”!
Marilyn is survived by her husband Herb, brother Doug Fraser and his wife Gloria, Sister in law Bernie Fraser and daughters Barbara Tanke of Forest Grove, OR, Janet Keroack with grandsons Richard in Missoula, MT and Robert Spokane, WA and, Sharon Naccarato with son in law Jay Naccarato Spokane, WA with granddaughters Andrea and Maria and grandsons Christopher and Mathew and other nieces and nephews in addition to Marianne Taylor who grew up at Hutton and now lives in Bellevue with her two sons Edwin and William.
We “Love You” and you will be missed; but, we know that you have gone to a better place to be with Christ in Heaven!!!
The Memorial Service is scheduled at Millwood Presbyterian Church, 3223 N. Marguerite Rd., Spokane, WA 99212 on Saturday, October 4, 2014 at 2:00 PM. Internment will be at Pines Cemetery at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, Marilyn would want any donations to be given to Millwood Young Life or North Idaho Wyldlife (a newYoung Life group-- Andrea Naccarato is their Leader) for Camp Scholarships or other youth purposes! Direct all gifts to Millwood Presbyterian Church.
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