Marilynne Robertson Bjork, 81, of Taylorsville Utah, passed away peacefully at home on Memorial Day, May 25, 2020. Marilynne was preceded in death by her mother, Marian Louise Gentry, her father, John Foulger Robertson, and her brother, John Arthur Robertson. She is survived by her husband Delmar, her four children: Shawna (Dale), Ken (Yvette), Lewis (Linda), and James, twelve grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
Marilynne was born on July 25, 1938 in Salt Lake City, Utah. While she was growing up, her family moved to San Francisco and later to Denver, followed by a short stint in Laramie, Wyoming, and Orem, Utah, before returning once again to the Salt Lake area. Marilynne loved playing and exploring as a child in the Denver area with her best friend Shirley and playing with her dog Rags, and later in Holladay, riding her horse Pete.
She met Delmar at an afternoon dance at the University of Utah Institute. She was immediately impressed with Delmar’s strength of character and gentlemanlike qualities. After two years of courtship, they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on September 26, 1958 and had a reception at the Memorial House at Memory Grove. Together they raised their four children and spent many years caring for Marilynne’s widowed mother and later Delmar’s widower father in their home.
Marilynne loved her family fiercely and was a devoted disciple of Jesus Christ. She shared her testimony and faith in God by her example and in every aspect of her life. She cared for the homeless mentally ill, volunteered countless professional hours of therapy to those in need, and freely gave of her time and energy to help others in any way she could.
Marilynne was a voracious reader, both of fiction and non-fiction. She taught her children to crave learning and to explore the world around them. Marilynne loved the mountains, hiking, exploring, the clouds, thunder storms, rainy days, spring and fall, gardening, bicycle riding, opera (particularly Leontyne Price), musicals, and the movie “Independence Day.” She was a gifted seamstress and it was one of her avenues of creative expression. She was also an amazing cook, using what she had to feed whoever walked through the door, which was always open. The fragrance of homemade bread, pies, and soup were always in their home.
Marilynne had a zest for life and learning that was vibrant and contagious. She and Tommie Sue Wright, her best friend, would take their children on spontaneous adventures up mountains, trees, and across valleys, leaving lasting memories of laughter, fun, and love.
Marilynne was creative and adventurous on many levels. Her family remembered a few unique Christmases when she decided to try something different for the Christmas trees. One year, she used a dead peach tree branch, spray painted it metallic blue, set it in a plaster-filled bucket, and then hung homemade gingerbread men as ornaments on the branches. A couple of years before, Marilynne with her children, gathered tumble weeds from the local fields, brought them home and stacked them like a snowman. She then flocked the tumble weeds to make a Christmas tree, and decorated it with little white twinkling lights. It was stunningly beautiful.
Another prized family memory occurred when Marilynne learned from one of the books she had been reading, that the cattail plant was “nature's pantry”. So off she went with children in tow to collect cattails from the canal edges and bring them home for dinner. Marilynne cooked these natural edibles like corn on the cob and presented them to the family. Unfortunately, the cattails were over ripe and no amount of butter could make the cotton-like texture palatable as the cattails disintegrated into piles of white fluff on the table and in the air.
When their daughter Shawna, began attending college, it seemed the perfect time and opportunity for Marilynne to resume her education. Mother and daughter walked together at their graduation from the University of Utah College of Nursing. Marilynne went on to earn a master’s degree in psychiatric nursing from the University of Utah, graduating suma cum laud. She worked at the University Medical Center as a charge nurse on the Psychiatric Unit. When the family moved to Billings, Montana, she was hired as the Director of the Adolescent Psych Unit at Deaconess Hospital. Later when they returned again to Salt Lake, she taught as a professor at Westminster College in the College of Nursing.
Marilynne’s laughter was contagious and engaging. She knew how to listen and really hear others, which is a rare gift. Marilynne was determined, fiercely loyal, a true friend, passionate, engaging, gentle, and kind. She was a gifted teacher and positively impacted all those around her. Marilynne had the opportunity to serve with her husband, as a temple worker in the Jordan River and Ogden temples and as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the employment center.
Marilynne’s influence on those around her is huge and ongoing. She joins the legacy of strong and valiant women who stand for truth and eternal perspective, who have changed the world to be a better place. She will always be remembered and greatly missed by her family and friends.
The family would like to give a special thank you to First Choice Home Health and Hospice for their gentle and compassionate care of Marilynne. We would also like to thank all those who have offered condolences and love to our family. We love you and are grateful.