Marilyn McGowan

Marilyn McGowan was born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1935. She was the second child to Edna and George Palm. She was the middle sister to the older sister Dorothy and younger sister Helen. When little George arrived, she guided him like a surrogate mother. She took him everywhere with her.

Education was very important to Marilyn. She worked hard and achieved great grades but after graduation she chose to go to work. When Marilyn graduated high school, she was rewarded by her parents for her hard work. She had the choice of either a fur coat or a car. Marilyn chose the car because Marilyn was going places. She loved the independence a car gave her even when doing errands for her mother. She was a woman of action, and she was always on the move and the car allowed her to take her friends along for the ride.

Marilyn married Jack McGowan and moved out to New Jersey. Family was everything to Marilyn. She quickly had her first daughter Lori and then her second daughter Patrice (Patty) and then after a bit she had John. Motherhood was filled with soccer games, swimming meets and running kids from one place to another, while often working an office job. She hosted holidays at her Wyckoff home whether in the backyard pool for 4th of July or in the dining room for Christmas and Thanksgiving. She was always assisted by her mother who helped make the gravy for those many turkey dinners.

Later, when she became a grandmother, she lived for spending time with her grandchildren. Her oldest grandchild is Samantha. They spent many times together taking walks with Samantha's dog Freckles. As the family grew many of her grandchildren lived in Oregon. What did Marilyn do? She sold her house and moved out so that she could create memories with these children. Marilyn was a woman of action who loved watching her grandchildren's soccer games and who enjoyed sitting and listening to them talk about school. She loved Samantha, Quinn, Dalia, Yana, Jack, and Olive and bragged about them to anyone who would listen.

Church and friendship came next on her priority list. She enjoyed going to mass each weekend and loved it when friends and family members joined along. She would help those who did not drive get to mass and she would listen to friends who needed help. One of her friends said, "Marilyn would give the shirt off her back.”" Very true, Marilyn was extremely generous with both family and friends. You would often find her walking with a friend on the nearby boardwalk. The ocean was her peaceful place, a place to exercise, meet friends and enjoy listening to a friend's stories. She and Connie spent many days walking and chatting on that boardwalk.

She will be missed by many.

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