Marilyn Love Davis

Marilyn Love Davis of Seattle passed away May 19 at the age of 95, peacefully and with family members at her side.

Marilyn was born Oct. 15, 1926 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She attended the University of Colorado and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a math major — the second woman ever to do so. In her freshman year, she met A. John (Johnny) Davis III, whom she married the day after graduation. They raised two sons together in Littleton, Colorado.

Marilyn was pragmatic, direct and often said that “every young woman needs a good education and her own set of tools!” She was the first homemaker in her suburban neighborhood to go back to work, earning a Master’s of Education and teaching elementary school in Littleton for 20 years. After retiring together in 1984, Marilyn and Johnny purchased a historic house on Puget Sound in Home, Washington, which they restored together over several years.

Marilyn fished, hunted and backpacked. She was an avid gardener and a voracious reader. She was competitive, independent, hard-working, an outspoken conversationalist, and had close friends wherever she lived. She loved football and successfully made the complicated transition from being a Broncos buff to a Seahawks fan.

After leaving Home in 2016, Marilyn moved to Gig Harbor and then to Seattle to be closer to her two sons and their families. Marilyn will be remembered for her outgoing personality, lively and sometimes-barbed humor, energy, intelligence, and for her pies.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her brother, Bill. She is survived by her two sons and their wives (John and Susan, Charlie and Nancy); four grandchildren; three great-granddaughters; sister-in-law Elsa; and three nieces, three nephews and their children, with whom she remained close.

A memorial will be held at a yet-to-be-determined date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho.