Marilyn Kelso

Marilyn Jane Kelso (née Nelson), passed away peacefully at 101 on February 12, 2026, in Oakland, California. Born on January 24, 1925, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Marilyn lived a life rich with creativity, friendship and a love for history, the natural world and the arts.

Marilyn spent her childhood in Salt Lake City. She grew up in a beloved home built by her Mormon pioneer ancestors. Time spent in Switzerland as a child perhaps sparked her lifelong love of travel. As an adult, she embarked on extended trips across Europe. She later visited Egypt, and enthusiastically participated in archaeological digs in the United States and in Israel.

A talented artist from a young age, Marilyn received an undergraduate degree from the University of Utah, having spent one of her college years studying at Parsons School of Design in New York City. She drew and painted throughout her life, and recipients of Marilyn's annual holiday cards treasure these small scale examples of her artistry. For almost twenty years, she designed, produced and donated a card each month to Raphael House, a charitable organization supporting low-income families in San Francisco. Marilyn's love of music was another essential component to her life. She first took harp lessons as a child. The beautiful harp she acquired as an adult was a treasured possession, one that brought her and others much pleasure over many years.

After college, Marilyn moved to San Francisco, a city she enjoyed for decades. She worked for many years as an editorial assistant at Look Magazine and later for W.H. Freeman and Co. and Scientific American. Her first job as an assistant librarian for children in Salt Lake City reflected her commitment to learning and community service. A devotion that continued into her 90s, when she helped establish a library for fellow residents at Merrill Gardens in Oakland, her final home.

Marilyn shared 52 years of marriage with her beloved husband, Danny Kelso. Together they thoroughly enjoyed the cultural vibrancy of San Francisco and explored the natural beauty of Northern California. Marilyn's enthusiasm for the city never waned. Well into her 90s, she took BART into San Francisco to visit museums, and to attend the opera, the symphony and the ballet.

Her gentle cheerful disposition and wide ranging interests enabled her to have devoted and caring friends throughout her life. Predeceased by her sister Eleanor Joan Jarvis and her husband, Danny Kelso, Marilyn is survived by half siblings, nieces, a nephew, and many friends who cherished her warmth and lively intellect.

May her memory bring comfort to all who had the privilege of knowing her.