Marilyn Rita Pelletier (aka Klein) passed away on July 30, 2026 at the age 104 years and 9 months in a board-and-care facility in Sacramento, California. Born as “Rita” Pelletier on November 24, 1921 in St. Francis, Maine, Marilyn’s tenacious and curious spirit reflected her childhood farm life in the Saint John Valley where houses had 2nd floor doors without decks for the heavy Winter snowfalls, and where receiving an orange for Christmas was a special gift. Marilyn was the last remaining of her surviving 6 siblings. French was the primary language spoken at home, and Marilyn was proud of her French Canadian heritage. The family farm subsisted on potato farming and lumbering during the Great Depression. When the family patriarch died at age 47 in 1940, Marilyn and her sisters, Gerry and Gizz, left home to support themselves. The departure turned into a 9-year adventure, starting out in Lake Placid, New York, where she became an accomplished ice skater, skier, and tennis player. World War II was in the early stages, and, as a member of the Greatest Generation, Marilyn’s strong work ethic and economic frugality allowed her to remain a single woman into her early 30’s when doing so was unfashionable. Marilyn migrated to Southern California in 1950 where she was a “Poppy Girl” for the Rosebowl parade. She received a degree in physical therapy from Loma Linda University in the 1949, and she spent the next decade caring for victims of the 1940’s polio epidemic. The Loma Linda community provided invaluable exposure to healthy living and diet, a factor that undoubtedly supported her through 104 years of a very active life. Marilyn married William Hugh Klein (1928 – 2006) in 1954, followed by the birth of her two children, Norma Jean and William Hugh II (aka Billy). She supported her husband through his own education in forestry management, and after several cross country moves the family settled in North Ogden, Utah in 1963. At that time Marilyn acquired our beloved and carefully tendered horses — Sioux, QB, and the infamous, nobody-knows-how-old-she-is, Tussy. These horses spurred wonderful life lessons and were a great source of happiness to Marilyn, her daughter, and neighborhood friends. The trio would whinney, neigh, and run up to the pasture fence when they heard her car driving up 300 East Street in North Ogden as she returned home from work. The Huntsville monastery, Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity, became another source of joy, with almost weekly visits for Mass, flavored honey, and a chance to hear the Trappists chant. Marilyn earned an ADN in nursing from Weber State College (1973) and subsequently traveled the Intermountain West as a nursing home consultant in her famous and repurposed Volkswagen van. In 1978, her husband’s career prompted a moved to Davis, California where she thrived for another 47 years in the university community atmosphere. Following a divorce after 33 years of marriage, Marilyn took in students for extra income, introducing her to two young students who to this day remain trusted family friends, Lina and Chiaya. We are forever thankful for the emotional and often physical support they provided our mother as she aged. Marilyn dove into philanthropic missions in several countries while she was in her 60’s, 70’s, and even 80’s, following a seminar put on by the Overseas Development Network (ODN) that lead her to Africa (Rwanda massacre survivors, post-1994 genocide), South America rain forests, and Mexico (assisting families forced to survive near landfills.) Until she was in her late 80’s, she swam daily at the Davis Athletic club where she excelled in the butterfly stroke. From the birth of her only grandchild in 1996 through 2024, she spent every Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday with her core family (Norma, Winston, and Caleb) along with the cherished family dogs, Pete and Olive. Marilyn’s legacy is deeply enriched by the thousands of photos and letters she saved from the 1940’s to this day, telling her family’s story. Marilyn is survived by her daughter Norma Klein, MD (Winston Eddy, MD), her son William H Klein Jr., and her grandson Lt. 1 Caleb W. Eddy, USMC. Donations may be made on her behalf to the Legal Assistance to the Elderly, 1663 Mission St., Suite 225, San Francisco, CA, 94103 (found at https://laesf.org/.) In the alternative, update your will or trust to indicate your specific wishes for end of life care and whether you chose to die at home.