Marilyn Ruth Poppe

Paradise Valley - Marilyn Ruth (Bergen) Poppe, 83, of Paradise Valley, Ariz., died peacefully on Dec. 1, 2024, in Scottsdale, following a stroke stemming from lung cancer.

Marilyn was a talented singer and writer, an avid bridge player, and a voracious reader who especially loved science fiction and mysteries. Early on, she taught school, but she spent the bulk of her working life alongside her devoted husband of six decades, Donald W. Poppe, at their insurance agency.

Along with Don, she was active in Civitan, a service organization that supports people with developmental disabilities. She was a charter member and distinguished president of the Kachina Civitan club in Phoenix in the 1980s.

In later years, she dug into genealogy, tracing her ancestry to the Mayflower and Revolutionary War Gen. Benjamin Lincoln and becoming active in the Daughters of the American Revolution and Mayflower Society.

Given her lack of interest in sports in her youth, she also became a surprisingly competitive fantasy football manager, with her Dragonflies winning multiple titles in the family league.

Marilyn leaves behind a loving family and many dear friends. Besides Don, survivors include treasured daughter Barbara Hays (Barry), cherished sons David (Cherie) and Daniel (Kristine) and precious grandchildren Lauren and Christopher Hays and Douglas Poppe. She is also survived by her beloved sister, Kathy Littlefield, and many loving nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her devoted parents and adored sister Janice Meils.

She also leaves behind thousands of books, many procured from The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, one her favorite places.

Marilyn was born on June 7, 1941, in Los Angeles to Theodore L. Bergen and the former Helen Basham. Shortly afterward, her father was called up from the Naval Reserves to active duty, leaving her mother to raise Marilyn and Janice with the help of their grandmother until Ted returned home in 1946.

Marilyn was a willful child, while her dad, who had risen to the rank of lieutenant commander, was accustomed to having his orders obeyed. Getting used to each other took a little time, but she was proud of her father's service all her life.

After the war, the family moved to Arizona. When Marilyn was 12, her school paired her with an English pen pal, Alethia Mosely, which led to a lifetime of correspondence and many visits.

At Scottsdale High School, Marilyn appeared in school musicals, where she met a lifelong friend, Suzanne (Williams) de Groot. Marilyn and Suzie played bridge together for the rest of their lives; their final game came a week before Marilyn died.

Marilyn attended Arizona State University on a voice scholarship, where she was a member of the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority and graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors.

In 1963, she married Don, whom she'd first met in the fourth grade. She taught seventh grade at Whittier Elementary in Phoenix before leaving to raise her children. She was the insurance agency's office manager for almost three decades, until she and Don retired. When they weren't working together, they were traveling, and she and Don visited most US states and 23 countries.

The family plans to host a memorial next spring. In lieu of flowers, donations in Marilyn's memory may be made to St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance, the Daughters of the American Revolution, or Civitan International.