Marilynn Westphal

Marilynn Westphal (née Osborn), beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away on November 9, 2025, in Cottonwood, Arizona after a brief illness. She was 84 years old.

Born on April 12, 1941, in Hilo, Hawaii, Marilynn was the daughter of Harold and Mary Osborn. In 1948 her family moved to California where after a brief stay in Corcoran, they moved to Long Beach, CA where Marilynn grew up.

Marilynn pursued higher education with determination and purpose. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health Education from UCLA before continuing on to receive a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from USC. These academic achievements laid the foundation for a lifelong commitment to helping others through healthcare.

As a registered Occupational Therapist (OTR), Marilynn made significant contributions to the field across several states. She began her career at Long Beach Memorial Hospital in Long Beach, California, where she served patients with compassion and professionalism. Later, she became Head of the Occupational Therapy Department at Washoe Medical Center in Reno, Nevada-a role that reflected both her leadership skills and clinical expertise. In the later years of her career, she provided home health occupational therapy services throughout Phelps County and surrounding counties in Missouri, continuing to touch lives with her care and dedication.

Marilynn shared 61 years of marriage with her husband Jerome "Jerry" Westphal. Their enduring partnership was marked by mutual respect and unwavering support through every chapter of life. Together they raised two children: Geoffrey Westphal and Greta (nee Westphal) Taylor. Marilynn also took great joy in being a grandmother to Cameron Westphal.

Marilynn and Jerry retired to Cottonwood in 2000. In retirement Marilynn had loved travel and fiber arts, especially knitting and weaving. She was also an intrepid amateur photographer using Photoshop to create albums to document travels and annual calendars to document family events and activities. She found joy in travel discoveries and in her fiber art and photo projects--interests that brought beauty and enrichment to her life and those around her.

In addition to her husband and children, she is survived by her sister, Susan Dikeman of Glenbrook, NSW, Australia. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Mary Osborn, as well as her brother Edward Osborn.

Marilynn's legacy lives on through the family she cherished and the countless individuals whose lives were improved by her skilled hands and generous heart. May her memory bring comfort to those who knew her.