Marilyn Jane Bach

Marilyn Jane (Simonson) Bach, 80, of Belleville, Michigan passed away on June 14, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. She was born on December 26, 1944, to Marvin Simonson and Lyle Isola in Detroit, Michigan, and spent most of her early childhood in Calumet and Detroit. When in elementary school, her family moved overseas to support her father's career with USAID. She had fabulous stories of growing up in Kabul, Afghanistan, traveling through Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, and attending boarding school in the Philippines.
After graduating from high school in the Philippines, Marilyn moved back to the United States. She attended Drake University, followed by Wayne State University where she met her husband of 56 years, Daniel C. Bach, Jr. When they married, Marilyn worked as a reservationist with Delta Airlines. Once they began their family, they moved to Belleville, Michigan, having three children. Marilyn stayed home to raise the family until the kids were older, and then went back to school and earned a master's degree in education from Eastern Michigan University. She then worked as a teacher in the Van Buren Public School system teaching third-, fourth- and fifth grade before retiring in 2005.
Marilyn had a strong Christian faith and loved to help others, usually without any form of recognition. When she saw someone in need, she would work to find a way to provide help. She also loved to create crafty things, sewing, and crocheting, but her true joy was in knitting and working with wool textiles. She spent many hours knitting baby blankets, sweaters and working on fun projects that would both challenge her and bring joy to others. Later in life she learned how to spin, creating yarn from wool and making one-of-a-kind creations. Marilyn loved to connect with people. Whether it be at a community bible study, spinners flock, or at a checkout counter of a local store, she was sure to learn about the people she met and make a personal connection.
One of Marilyn's favorite things to do was to spend time with her family – especially her grandchildren. She loved to watch them grow and see their talents develop, spending time with them babysitting or popping in for a quick visit. When she missed an event, she wanted a timely report from the family and loved to hear every detail.
Marilyn is survived by her husband Dan Bach, daughters Rebecca (Rob) Sanch, Rachel (Shaun) Kalis, son Benjamin Bach, and grandchildren Abby, Ella, Riley, Shiloh, Reyna, and Nolan, and by her nieces and nephews Laura, Susie, Steve, Dave, Ken and Lynn.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Marvin and Lyle Simonson, and sister Elaine (Vatz) Simonson. Although the family is sad that Marilyn has departed, we take comfort in our faith and are thankful for the memories we made during her lifetime. She may be gone but will never be forgotten.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Open Door Ministries in Canton (opendoorfoodministry.org), a local food pantry service that helps feed local families and provides job placement support, or to the American Cancer Society.
A memorial service honoring Marilyn will be held on Monday, June 30 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Hope Community Church, 2100 Ellsworth Rd, Ypsilanti, Michigan with a service at 5 p.m.