Marilyn Rose Siegel
In the loving company of family, Marilyn Rose Siegel went to soar with the angels on February 29, 2024.
Marilyn born on March 20th, 1942 in Walton, New York to Virginia and Clifford Leonard. Above all, Marilyn’s life was defined by her selfless acts of compassion and caring, along with her resilience, determination, and strength in the face of adversity.
Marilyn met her love and future husband Gary in 1960, whom she married in 1961.
She loved being active in all family activities. She volunteered at Ellwood elementary school, was a Den mother for cub scouts, was an office assistant at temple B’nai B’rith, worked as an office admin for Hughes Aircraft, served on the Parkinson Association of Santa Barbara board. Marilyn loved life. She was always up for any activity or adventure. She played soccer along with the rest of her family and earned the name ‘Killer’ due to her unrelenting determination. She was an avid quilter, knitter, loved to play piano, loved to travel, invented the ‘Bee Dressed’ hospital gown, loved cooking and experimenting with new recipes, and loved her family.
In June of 1994, she fulfilled her dream of becoming a nurse and graduated from the nursing program at SBCC. She went to work at St. Francis immediately where she not only provided loving care to patients in her capacity as a nurse, she also started an Angel Network focused on elevated patient care through a volunteer network. This network was comprised of artists who adorned walls with uplifting murals, crafters who provided tactile items to assist with sensory exercises, and more. When St. Francis closed in 2003, she moved to Cottage hospital. In 2004 she left her beloved profession due to Parkinson Disease. She became an advocate and informal educator to other caregivers on how to work with PD patients.
Marilyn was loved and admired by many.
Marilyn is survived by her husband, Gary, her children, Gary Jr. (Kim), Laurie (Jo), Sarah (Blair), her grandchildren, Brittany (Nate), Ashlee (Brian), Tiffany, Camryn, Heather and Rachel, Rylee and Haylee, her great grandchildren, Kai, Amiyah, Kobi and Nora, her brothers, Wayne and Carl, and her sister Cheryl.
A celebration of life will be held at the Winslow-Maxwell overlook at SBCC on July 13th, 2024. As Marilyn prioritized finding joy in life through acts of kindness, the family asks that you do the same – go out and do something that brings joy to those around you or those in need. If you feel so moved, reach out and tell us about a joyful time shared with Marilyn!