Marilyn Joy (Gatehouse) Olsen, of Auburn, Alabama, passed away peacefully, with family by her side, at East Alabama Medical Center on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, following a brief illness. She was 88.
Born to the late Gilbert and Ethel (Cole) Gatehouse, she was born on July 12, 1932, in Brooklyn, N.Y. She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y., and taught for 19 years in Hillsdale, N.J., before retiring in 1987.
She began married life in New York but moved to Alabama when her husband was in the service, and subsequentially relocated to New York, California, and finally New Jersey, until 2016 when she moved to Alabama to be by family.
Surviving are her husband of 67 years, Warren; children, Jill (Steve) Passaretti of Opelika, Ala., and Oakwood, Ohio, and Paul (Cass) Olsen of Hanover, N.H., and Opelika, Ala.; grandchildren, Michael (Emily) Passaretti, Amy Passaretti, Meredith (Bryce) Petty and Christian Olsen; and great-grandchildren, Lydia and Theodore Passaretti and Quinn Petty. She is also survived by her sister Carol Sutton and numerous nieces and nephews.
Marilyn believed in second chances and was a strong advocate for giving back to others. She was a dedicated volunteer her entire life and joined the General Federation of Woman’s Clubs (GFWC) in 1961 as a member of the Woodland Hills Junior Women’s Club in California. When she and her family moved to New Jersey in 1963, she joined the Westwood Junior Women’s Club. Marilyn became a member of the GFWC Vernon Township Woman’s Club in 1989 and held a number of leadership positions, including club president. She was known to bring llamas and baby pigs to nursing homes to interact with the patients.
Marilyn and her husband delivered Meals on Wheels faithfully for 20 years. In 2009, they were nominated by the Sussex County Meals on Wheels chapter for the Meals on Wheels Association of America’s annual American Volunteer Contest. She was one of the founding organizers of Harvest House Community Lunch Program in Sussex, N.J., in 1997 and was a board of directors member for 10 years. Marilyn was a Girl Scout Leader in Hillsdale, N.J., for the same group of girls from Brownies through Seniors. She was a member of the Vernon Juvenile Conference Committee, meeting monthly to hear and decide matters involving juvenile delinquency.
Marilyn and her husband were awarded the Vernon Township Senior Citizens of the Year in 2003.
Marilyn will forever be remembered for the strength of her marriage, her love of family, a desire to help others, her knitting and her smile.
Funeral services were private. Contributions may be made in Marilyn’s memory to the GFWC Vernon Township Woman’s Club, PO Box 175 Vernon, NJ 07462; or to your local food pantry.