Marilyn McLaren

1924 - 2021

Marilyn Jean McLaren
1924-2021
Marilyn McLaren, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away at her home in Houston, Texas on March 3, 2021 surrounded by family and friends.
Marilyn was born to Bertha and Amos Markley on a snowy winter day on a farm near Decatur, Illinois. While the Depression greatly shaped/influenced her childhood, youth and young adulthood in Decatur, she was still able to enjoy a lively social life. There were many family activities in Forsythe, Pinckneyville and Tamoroa where she became very close to two cousins David and Tim Riead. She went to many movies, and listed them in her diary with her opinions and comments. She earned her degree in English Literature from Millikin University in 1946. She then became a school teacher. She taught grade school for several years in Pontiac, Michigan and then later in East Alton, Illinois. During her years as a teacher she spent one memorable summer seeing the western U.S. with her college friends, another working at a dude ranch in Wyoming, and, yet another travelling all the way to the Pacific Ocean where she sun-bathed in Malibu and visited some of the Los Angeles hotspots. Her lifelong friend, Frederica Harvey nee Massey, accompanied her on all these adventures.
During her teaching tenure in East Alton, she went to a party where she met Alan McLaren, a chemist at the nearby Shell Oil refinery, and they married in 1952. Their first home together was in Edwardsville Illinois. Their first two children, Lisa and Bill, were born during this time. In 1961, Shell transferred the McLarens to Martinez, California, and another son, Rob, was born. The family lived in Martinez for the next eight years and enjoyed some of the happiest times of their lives. Marilyn enjoyed the pleasant climate, wonderful neighbors, good friends, raising the children, going camping, and participating in philanthropic organizations such as The American Association of University Women (AAUW).
In 1969, when Alan was promoted to Shell's head office in New York City, the family relocated for one year to Westport, Connecticut, where Marilyn joined a chapter of the PEO sisterhood, which supports variety of women's educational needs and benefits.
The following year, the McLarens were relocated to Houston when Shell moved its head office there. While Texas was a bit of a shock, having other transplanted oil company families as neighbors, some of whom she'd previously known, helped ease the transition. She learned to love Louisiana seafood, Texas barbeque, pecan pie, and Southern hospitality. Marilyn volunteered in the school libraries first at Matzke Elementary, then Bleyl Junior High, and later at Cypress Creek High School. She was an active member of a local PEO chapter, was an active participant in her neighborhood organization, and led a local exercise group. She became involved in Alan's rare book business – her specialty was the shipping end of the business. She was well known at the local postal outlet for her frequent drop-offs of sold book packages, and ready joke. She loved watching the Astros, doing crossword puzzles, visiting with grandchildren, and socializing with many friends involved with LEAR (Life Exists After Retirement). After Alan's retirement in 1985, Marilyn and Alan were able to enjoy a great deal of travelling. Some of their many favorite places included the Galapagos Islands, Cancun, Eritrea, the Seychelle Islands, France, and Russia. They also travelled every other year to visit Alan's cousins and their families in Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Preceding Marilyn in death were her parents, her brother Greg Markley and his wife Josephine, her brother-in-law Donald McLaren and his wife, Sally Tate McLaren, and her husband of sixty seven years Alan McLaren.
Marilyn is survived by her daughter Lisa, son Bill and wife Margot of Manhattan Beach California, son Rob and wife Julie of Houston, TX, four grandchildren, Will, Liz, Veronica and Kenny McLaren, nephews Russell McLaren of Silverlake, CA, and Andrew McLaren and wife Jeannie McLaren of Allen, Texas. She is survived by her beloved cousin Tim Riead of Carrollton, TX.
The family wishes to thank Marilyn's many caregivers, particularly Mirella Hourihan, who took such good care of Marilyn and Alan for so many years, and Patrice McArthy, a family friend who stepped in to help in recent years.
A memorial and celebration of life service for Marilyn will be held on Saturday, June 19th at 2 pm at Windwood Presbyterian Church at 10555 Spring Cypress Rd. Houston, TX 77070
In lieu flowers, donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders or to a charity of your choice.