Mrs. Marilyn Surles

The Homegoing Celebration in Love and Memory of Mrs. Marilyn Surles of Perry, Georgia will be held Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at 1:30 P.M. at Greater Union Baptist Church, Gray Road, Perry, Georgia. Interment will follow at Champ Waters Cemetery, Twin Churches Road Montezuma, Georgia.
Marilyn, known to many by "Maril", a brilliant soul, loving wife, mother and grandmother, left this world far too soon. Born in Chicago, Illinois on November 3, 1960, to the union of the late Claude & Ozie Charles who proceeded her in death. Maril was a beacon of light, illuminating the lives of everyone around her.
Marilyn went to Hearst Elementary School and graduated from Curie High School in Chicago, Illinois. She was determined to complete her higher education. She began her educational career at Waubonsee Community College in Aurora, Illinois. She then transferred her credits to Metro Community College after moving her family to Omaha, Nebraska. Marilyn later graduated from Central Georgia Technical College in Macon, Georgia, while living in Perry, Georgia. Maril earned her Associate Degree in Business Technology. She accomplished her goal and made her family proud. She did not give up!
Marilyn accepted Christ at an early age. She was baptized at Light House Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Reverend Bernice Johnson. She was later baptized again after renewing her vows with GOD at Morning Star Baptist Church in Omaha, Nebraska, under the leadership of Pastor Leroy Adams. She found her final church home at United Greater Baptist Church in Perry, Georgia, under the leadership of Reverend Dr. Otha Everett. She married the love of her life, Mark "Lamont" Surles in 1998.
To know Maril is to love her. She touched the lives of many with her unique and contagious laugh, her kind, funny, sometimes outrageous conversations, and willingness to help anyone she had the ability to. No matter where she lived, Chicago, Omaha, or Perry, she always remained the same. Maril really loved her children and grandchildren most of all. They were her driving force. Maril loved a good hand of Spades, Tunk, Rummy, and stayed ready to dominate in a hand of Dominoes.
On June 13, 2025, Marilyn went home to be with the Lord, where she will join her parents, Claude and Ozie Charles; her brothers: Gregory Charles and Arthur Charles; and her nephew Finner Bryant Jr. Maril is survived by her husband, Mark "Lamont" Surles; her three children: I'eshia Tucker, Donsha Tucker (Yentl Johnson), and Jalaia Surles (Anthony Lane); her grandkids: Laneshia, Don'Neir, Jordan, Deriah, Janiya, Derriyona, D'aira, Dalaia, Jeremiah, Jabari, Alaya and Kenji; two great-grandkids: Zyon and Aiyana; her siblings: Johnny "Sonny" Potter, Claude Charles Jr. (Marchella Tucker Charles), Theresa Perry, Patricia Harvey (Mark Harvey), Valerie Smith (Anthony Smith), and Anthony Charles (Anglea Charles); her god brother and sister, Andre and Vicki Alexander; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends.
To view the live service of Mrs. Surles, click the video below or the following link. https://www.youtube.com/live/REq_r8QF2a4?si=J6ArNEml5RFDEK_H