MARILYN SIMONETTI DUELL

DUELL, MARILYN SIMONETTI Passed away Friday, November 11, 2011 surrounded by her family after a short battle with lung cancer. She was born January 27, 1938 in Miami, Florida at St. Francis Hospital in Miami Beach to Ben and Helen Simonetti. In 1948, Marilyn moved to Upstate New York where she lived with her Aunt, Mary Socha, who owned a lake front resort property on Lake George, New York in the Adirondack Mountains. She attended Lake George High School,was an accomplished student, a cheerleader, member of the National Honor Society and graduated with honors at age 16. She married her high school sweetheart, Garry Duell, and moved back to Miami, Florida where in ensuing years, they were blessed with their son Garry, Jr. and daughter Gina. Marilyn continued her education at the University of Miami, balancing raising a family and studies; she eventually graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Miami's School of Psychology in 1972. She began a career working for the State of Florida Parole Commission where she worked with troubled youngsters in an effort to help them become successful adults. She then worked in the Human Resource Department of Ryder Systems followed by the Braman-Sterling Motor Car Company. She was an avid Miami Hurricane Fan attending many games over the years with her father who was an original bond holder of the Orange Bowl Stadium. Marilyn was one of the original investors in the Big Cheese Restaurant along with her son, Garry Duell, Jr and both William Archer, Senior and Junior. She served there as the lunchtime hostess for many years where she enjoyed her time there conversing with the many University of Miami enthusiasts and faculty that often dined at the restaurant. Her greatest sense of joy and satisfaction came from the love she shared with her children, Marilyn and her children lived within a mile of each other and remained very close and supportive for each other down to the last moment. In the last few years, she had the opportunity to spend her summers in her beloved Lake George, at her Bolton Landing home, with her children and grandchildren. Marilyn is survived by her brother Jack Simonetti and wife Susan of Evanston, Illinois, her sister Bernadette Simonetti of Nashville, Tennessee, her son Garry Duell, Jr and wife Rosana, her loving daughter Gina Duell Fernandez and husband Jesse both of Miami, Florida, her grandchildren Garrett, Chance, Cali, Madison and Morgan, many nieces and nephews and her cousins Christine Waters and Susan Socha. She will be forever missed by all of those who adopted her as their second mom, mentor and inspirational guide. Funeral to be held Thursday November 17 at Riverside Gordon Funeral Home 5900 SW 77 Ave. Miami Fla 10:00 Visitation 11:00 Service 12:00 Gravesite Burial View this Guest Book at www. MiamiHerald.com/obituaries.