Marilyn Lacey, 72

Marilyn lived her young life in Lexington where she belonged to the Brownie Troop along with her best friends, Diane, Barb, Sag, Deb and Louise. Unfortunately, Marilyn was kicked out of the Troop in first grade for not being up to snuff. Despite this tragic event, Marilyn remained best of friends with the girls to this day.

Summers were spent with her grandparents in Lincoln, where she belonged to the Jolly Riders Club led by the eccentric Sally Adams. Marilyn excelled at riding, roping, and exploring the many mountain trails Sally brought them on. After each dusty trail ride, a refreshing dip in the Pemi River would end the perfect day.

After graduating from Lexington High School, Marilyn attended Plymouth State College where she earned a degree in Psychology in 1972 and met her future husband Tim. They both worked at Waterville Valley part-time to help pay for college. Some of their best memories were made there.

After graduation Marilyn worked with the residents at Laconia State School. Marilyn’s kindness, calm demeanor and dry sense of humor was the perfect combination for this position. She loved taking the residents on unauthorized bus adventures to the Globe Department Store in Gilford. She often told the story of how much fun they all had just wandering the aisles and returning back to the school without purchasing a thing.

After several years working in Laconia, Marilyn moved to Kennebunkport, Maine, where she managed the Village Cove Inn. At that time George H. W. Bush was Vice President and the Secret Service staff always stayed at the Inn. To this day Marilyn has remained friends with several of the agents. I always accused her of being a double agent, which she always denied.

Always up for an adventure, Marilyn went to work for a travel agency in Maine because of all the perks. She traveled all around Europe, Central America, and of course the Islands. Little did she know that when she married Tim in 1984 that he was a homebody.

Tim convinced her that living on Cape Cod, fishing, and going to the beach was much better than ever getting on a plane again. So much for world traveling.

While on the Cape Marilyn went to work for the Pillsbury Company in sales. There was always a promotion or event taking place. Those events often included Marilyn and Tim dressing up as the Jolly Green Giant and Pillsbury Dough Boy. Marilyn always said, “If we aren’t having fun, we’re doing it wrong.”

After several years of having fun as the Dough Boy, Marilyn became a Certified Nursing Assistant because she loved caring for people. Being on the Cape many of the people she cared for also owned boats and enjoyed being around the water. One of her favorite patients was Pinky, the owner of Pinky’s Marine in Woods Hole. Everyone loved Pinky and hanging out on the docks. Marilyn introduced Tim to Pinky and they became fast friends telling each other stories of life on the sea or whatever came to mind. So much fun for the three of them laughing until tears came down their faces.

One of the many reasons everyone loved Marilyn is because she was a fabulous cook and every meal was made with love and looked fantastic. Whether it was a ham sandwich or a turkey dinner for family and friends, the meal tasted great and the presentation was marvelous. Who knew you could dress up a ham sandwich worthy of a photo?!?

In 2000 Marilyn and Tim returned to Laconia so Marilyn could care for Tim’s mother as she underwent chemo treatments. Marilyn was an angel and selfless as always.

Marilyn is going to be missed for many reasons. Tim will have no more mansplaining to do. She was so kind and caring to everyone she met. It was never about her. She never put herself first. She never wanted her photo taken. She was so smart, so loving, and so considerate of others. She was just a pleasure to be around.

She leaves behind her husband of 38 years, Tim, of Laconia; her sister, Barb Sumundza, and husband Scott of N. Hampton; sister, Rosemary Walsh of Whitensville, MA; several nieces and nephews, Timbo, Tyler, and Tessa; and college roommate, Meg Hallgren.

A private Celebration of Life will be held at a later date with family members only.

For those who wish, the family suggests memorial donations may be made in Marilyn’s name to the Granite VNA Hospice House, 240 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH 03301-2500.

Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services and 603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, NH, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit www.wilkinsonbeane.com.