Marilyn R. Islinger

Marilyn Reiff Islinger, born January 10, 1930, spoke fondly of growing up in the depression with her loving parents, three brothers, a sister and nearby large extended family on Chicago's south side. Times were tough but she often said, "as kids we never knew what we were missing".
Marilyn always loved to draw. She studied art and fashion design at the School of the Art Institute after high school, working office jobs by day and taking classes at night. Always resilient, she landed several freelance illustration opportunities but found it hard to break into the design field full time in the 1950's. Her creativity drifted into sewing and she set herself up to design and sew a new dress each week to wear to her beloved Trianon Ballroom, where she danced away each Saturday night with friends.
A chance meeting with Joe Islinger grew slowly into her life's dream. After five years of dating she married the love of her life in 1957. Three children followed quickly and Marilyn busied herself raising three energetic kids, keeping house and decorating her home in Evergreen Park with flea market antiques. Marilyn loved caring for her family and somehow found time to sew everyone's clothes, even her children's blue jeans (much to their dismay!).
Marilyn dedicated her life to the service of others; encouraging her children to be creative and productive and always supporting her husband. She loved animals and gardening and continued to sew and create beautiful pieces of art for others with needlepoint through her later years. We will miss her greatly and the smell of her fresh baked banana muffins and chocolate chip cookies (always crispy).
Marilyn was preceded in death by Joseph Sr, her husband of 60 years, and recently lost her oldest son Joseph Jr (Maureen) Islinger. She is survived by her son Jeff (Judy) Islinger, daughter Lisa (Mark) Marsan, grandchildren Katie (Karl) Brower, RJ Marsan, Jeremey Marsan, Madeline (Mike) Stein and great grandson Oliver Brower.
Visitation at the Pedersen Ryberg Funeral Home, 435 N. York St., Elmhurst, on Saturday, April 1, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. until time of Funeral Service, 10:30 a.m. Private Interment St. Mary Cemetery, Evergreen Park, Illinois