Marilyn Rae Pearson, age 88, of The Villages, Florida, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 28, 2025. She was born on February 5, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois, to Lawrence and Caroline Wilson. Marilyn’s warmth, laughter, and love for her family will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
Marilyn was proud to have attended Alexander Graham Bell School in Chicago, where she often walked deaf and hard-of-hearing students to class. She graduated from Lakeview High School and grew up in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, where she formed lifelong friendships. Devoted to her children and family, Marilyn spent many years as a stay-at-home mom before returning to work. She began her career at Illinois Bell after graduating from high school. As her children grew older, she returned to the workforce at Handy Andy and later rejoined AT&T (formerly Illinois Bell), where she took great pride in her work.
A true Chicagoan at heart, Marilyn loved her hometown and often championed its beauty, especially its lakefront, as the best in the country. Some of her fondest childhood memories were summers spent in Bellaire, Michigan, on her grandmother’s farm, where she delighted in walking the family goat to town on a rope. Later in life, Marilyn moved to Palatine, Illinois, before retiring to The Villages, Florida.
At just 14 years old, Marilyn met her future husband and lifelong partner, Edward. Together, they shared 69 years of marriage, a testament to their enduring love and commitment. Rarely apart, Marilyn and Ed enjoyed golfing, playing cards, traveling, and billiards. Their bond was a strong foundation for the loving family they built together.
Marilyn is survived by her beloved husband, Edward Pearson; her three children, Eileen (late William) Taylor, Daniel (Karen Koeller) Pearson, and Wendy (Richard) Gimino; five grandchildren, Jacqueline (Matthew), Daniel (Tiffany), Leia (Andrew), Nathaniel (Melanie), and Sabrina; and nine great-grandchildren, William, Madilynne, Adler, Audrey, Finley, Ellison, Ella, Julian, and Louis.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence and Caroline Wilson, her stepmother, Elizabeth Wilson; and her cherished son-in-law, William Taylor.
Services will be held on Friday, January 2, at 11:00 a.m. at Open Bible Lutheran Church in Oxford, Florida.