Marlinda Marli-Bernardes Routt

ABOUT MARLINDA MARLI-BERNARDES ROUTT

Marlinda Marli-Bernardes Routt was an enigma. She was given nothing but a name, but she achieved everything her heart desired. She was born in Curitiba, Brazil on August 20, 1950. She died of pancreatic cancer in Cumming, Georgia, at the age of 74 on October 2, 2024.

A celebration of Marlinda's life will be held on Friday, October 11th, at 10:30 am at North Point Church located at 4350 North Point Parkway in Alpharetta, GA. In lieu of flowers, Marlinda would appreciate it if you made a donation to some worthy causes, such as Pancreatic Cancer Foundation (Home - National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation (npcf.us) or Rally Cancer Foundation (Rally Foundation - Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation)

Marlinda was forced to leave school in the 6th grade because she couldn't afford to pay for a pencil from the school store. She was a genius who fluently spoke three languages: Portuguese, Spanish, and English. She migrated to the United States with her first husband when she was 19.

She is a legend and a matriarch of many. She gave birth to her wonderful daughter, Karen Ribas Filos, who is so much like her.

Marlinda was an unparalleled beauty who defied her age by looking 20 years younger than she was. Most likely, she was a white witch who used her extraordinary powers for good and beauty. Like most witches, she had two cats. Those cats are as obsessed with her as she was with them. She told incredulous stories about those cats, Prince and Spot. But the stories are all true!

Marlinda married three men and gave them the best years of her life. Each husband got 20 wonderful years, except for the last, who only received 10 years, but that was because she died way too soon.

She brought out the best in people, even if they weren't so good to begin with. She always made people better than when she found them. She drank wine every day and smoked long brown More Menthol 120 cigarettes like a movie star. She learned English from her Jewish clients in New Jersey which gave her a very sexy Brazooklyn accent. With her blonde hair, gorgeous looks, fashionable attire, and that really weird but sexy accent, she was often mistaken for a Russian spy.

Marlinda did everything she wanted without having a well-thought-out and strategized plan, but it always worked out.

She didn't want us to be sad about her passing. She wanted us to celebrate her life and our lives. She was larger than life, so she'll never be forgotten. If she wasn't such a cool human, she could have been a cool cartoon. She is hope, laughter, and light. She is an inspiration on how to live. She is Marlinda Bernardes Routt, and she will never be forgotten.

SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS

Karen Ribas Filos, Daughter

Doug Filos, Son-in-law

Isabella Filos, Granddaughter

Luke Filos, Grandson

Logan Filos, Grandson

Dilmair Baica Bernardes Melo, Sister

Jane Bernardes Salkaguti, Sister

Jossy Bernardes Escalante, Sister

Li Caco Bernardes, Brother

Junior Bernardes, Brother

Nara Bernardes, Sister

Karla Ribas, Stepdaughter

Fabio Soares, Stepson

Carlos Roberto Teixeira, Stepson

Sissi Pasinato, Aunt

Marlus Pasinato, Cousin

Nara Pasinato, Cousin

Scott Routt, Husband

Rayven Routt, Stepdaughter

Rowan Delf-Montgomery Routt, Stepdaughter

PREDECEASED FAMILY MEMBERS

Valmor Bernardes, Father

Odina Nunes Bernardes, Mother

CAREER AND OCCUPATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Master Hair Stylist: (This story is unbelievable but true). Apprenticed at the age of 13 in Curitiba, Brazil. She was hired by the biggest upscale salon in Curitiba, Brazil, at the age of 15 (And she had a TV show there).

After immigrating to New Jersey, she was hired by Glenby International Hair and Designs in New Jersey. (Her first husband, Ernesto Ribas, asked Glenby to give her a job because she wanted to get out of the house and do her art. He told them they didn't have to pay her. When Glenby saw Marlinda's work, they didn't care that she couldn't speak English or lacked a cosmetology school diploma. They got her licensed and gave her a job. The women of New Jersey couldn't have been happier. They taught her to speak English and followed her wherever she went.

After Glenby International, she went to work for her daughter, Karen, at Bella Rose salon in New Jersey. Yes, there is a cool picture of mother and daughter. Marlinda proved to be unmanageable, which is not a surprise. She left Bella Rose and her daughter to become a gypsy stylist.

As a gypsy hair stylist, Marlinda would rent a chair from salons who were eager to showcase the renowned Master Stylist. She would set up shop in a New Jersey salon, and her clients would flock to her.

After Hurricane Sandy, her daughter Karen moved the unmanageable and wild Marlinda to Alpharetta, Georgia, so that she could keep her mother out of trouble. Because Marlinda did not qualify for a Georgia cosmetology license, she flew back and forth from Atlanta to Newark every four weeks to make her money.

After Marlinda met and married Scott Routt in Georgia, she decided that she would like to get a Georgia cosmetology license so that she wouldn't have to fly to New Jersey every four weeks. Getting a Georgia cosmetology license should have been easy, as New Jersey and Georgia have a reciprocal relationship. However, it wasn't easy. Georgia insisted that Marlinda could not get a license unless she graduated from high school or held a GED, graduated from an accredited cosmetology school (no apprenticeships), and could prove she passed the New Jersey license without the assistance of a language interpreter. Luckily, Scott was able to make all those things that didn't happen magically happen. It took a year, but she received her Georgia license.

Marlinda was hired by Scandals Hair Design in Alpharetta, GA. But of course, Marlinda is unmanageable and wants to do what she wants, when she wants, and where she wants.

Marlinda left Scandals and opened her own salon in the basement of her house and happily performed her artistry until her hands shook from the cancer that claimed her life.

SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

Like most Brazilians, Marlinda was brought up in the Catholic church. But as a child, she ran away from the Catholic church and the Catholic priest who tried to put his hand under her dress.

Marlinda never lost her faith in Jesus Christ. She was a true believer. Her faith never diminished. She was a Godly woman. Ironically, she met and married an atheist on a Christian dating site called "Christian Mingle." The unmanageable Marlinda learned to manage her extraordinary Christian faith along with her marriage to an atheist husband. Who says you can't love Jesus as well as your atheist husband? Nothing was impossible for Marlinda.

HOBBIES AND ACTIVITIES

Marlinda's hobbies included Making the world a better place. Watching Gangster movies. Fashion and Style. Changing people's lives for the better. Taking care of her husband, Scott Routt. Obsessing over her two cats- Prince and Spot. Making people happy. Loving her family and friends while spending time with them. Dispensing invaluable advice to her daughter, Karen, and her long list of stepchildren.