Marilyn Bitney

1943 - 2025

Marilyn Bitney
December 22, 1943 - July 23, 2025
Marilyn Bitney, a long-time Alaskan mother, passed away peacefully on July 23, 2025, at the age of 81 years old.
Born as the third of four children to the late John and Mildred (Brooks) Lewis on December 22, 1943, Marilyn began her early childhood in Bloomer, Wisconsin. In 1948, they moved to Spooner to live in the home of their grandparents, Hiram and Cora (Beardsley) Brooks. Marilyn attended Spooner High School, graduating in 1962 with honors in athletics and music.
In 1964 she married James "Jim" Bitney from Shell Lake, Wisconsin.
Marilyn and Jim moved to Alaska in 1968 and began careers teaching in remote communities and villages such as Mountain Village, Talkeetna, Manokotak, Wasilla, and Skwentna. They both retired after each working over thirty years in Alaska's public schools. During that time, they relished and focused on happily raising their three children: John, Jay, and Jenna.
Marilyn fully experienced the best of Alaska with family and friends by fishing salmon, berry picking, collecting rocks that struck her fancy, gardening, and clam digging.
She spent summers with dear friends in her hiking and biking club, where they trekked Alaska glaciers, mountain hillsides, the Chilkoot Pass, and even took trips southern destinations such as the Grand Canyon. She was an avid bicyclist, especially riding the "Bird to Gird" along Turnagain Arm, the Denali Park Road, and "rails to trails" network around Couer d'Alene, Idaho.
Throughout her life, Marilyn actively volunteered in her community. She kept records for the Alaska Retriever Club, where she was also recognized in AKC retriever competitions for her excellent dog handling skills. During her years working at Wasilla Middle School, she volunteered as a ski club chaperon, a literacy tutor, and served as an usher for the community theater.
All who knew Marilyn enjoyed her quiet gentle demeanor and constant laughter. She delighted in playing card games, board games, word puzzles, and especially any games invented by her granddaughters.
Her heart was always centered around her children, family, friends, and community, and she was especially proud of her two granddaughters, Bri Bitney and Peyton Bell.
In her final years, her own memory began to fail her, but her memories were all preserved in many pictures with her written notes, scrapbooks of her children, her family letters and high school yearbooks, and cards from all the people she touched.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband (Jim Bitney), and older sister (Jackie Allar).
She is survived by her children (John Bitney, Jay Bitney, Jenna Bitney), her brother (William Lewis) and sister (Rose Eddy), her grandchildren, and many nephews, nieces, cousins and in-laws.
Her children are planning a celebration of life for both Jim and Marilyn on April 25, 2026 at a location TBA near their longtime home in Wasilla, Alaska. For anyone wishing to honor her memory, please help maintain the local hiking and biking trails in your area.