Marilyn Marguerite Smith

Marilyn Marguerite Smith, age 79, of Greeley, Colorado, died peacefully on September 19, 2026, surrounded by family at Pathways of Northern Colorado Hospice in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Marilyn was born on April 23, 1947, in Duluth, Minnesota. She grew up in Duluth and attended the College of St. Scholastica, where in 1969 she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

She married the love of her life, Robert Smith, on April 26, 1969. Marilyn taught second grade in Duluth for several years, and in 1977 she started her own preschool, which she continued well into the 1990s.

In 1983, Marilyn, Robert, and their three children moved from Duluth to Fort Collins, Colorado. Over the years, the family also lived in Waunakee, Wisconsin; West Bend, Wisconsin; Geneva, Illinois; and Eaton, Colorado.

Marilyn’s incredible faith and trust in God sustained her through a difficult 25-year-plus journey with Parkinson’s disease. She was a devoted reader of the Bible and participated in Bible study groups throughout her life. She was a former member of Crossroads Church of Greeley, where she and Robert volunteered for many years, including serving coffee and donuts. She instilled that same spirit of faith and service in her children.

Over the years, she volunteered in homeless shelters, served as a Girl Scout leader and Cub Scout den mother, and gave her time to numerous church, school, and community activities.

Marilyn loved gardening and flowers, decorating, baking, cooking, and, before becoming ill, yoga. Her sense of beauty and aesthetic was second to none, reflected not only in her home but in the way she dressed and presented herself. She had a beautiful smile, an unforgettable laugh, and took great pride in creating a welcoming home. Every Christmas she baked her famous Christmas cookies, which she lovingly shared with family and friends.

Marilyn preserved generations of family history through genealogy and scrapbooking, which eventually grew into a professional endeavor, Grandma Mimi Books, in the mid-2000s. Later in life, she discovered painting and filled her homes with art and murals.

She was also the financial steward of the household, thrifty, disciplined, and famously organized. She had a lifelong competitive streak, whether in games, cards, or everyday life, a trait her sisters remembered from childhood. She loved to laugh and could often keep herself and everyone around her in stitches.

Marilyn was deeply committed to those she loved. She was a wonderful listener who loved hearing stories of her family and friends, and was known for hosting luncheons with friends, open houses, holiday gatherings, and other celebrations. She was a devoted mother and grandmother and took tremendous pride in her family.

She is survived by her husband, Robert; her children, Michael, of the San Francisco Bay Area, Darren (Eugenia), of Palmer, Alaska, and Lynne Seidel of Fort Collins, Colorado; her grandchildren, Jordyn Broberg (Ryne), Blake Seidel, and Madisyn Seidel; and her sisters, Anne Kolquist (Lee) of Geneva, Illinois, and Adrienne Gyllen (John) of St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Delbert Eugene Genereau and Marguerite Lillian Couture Genereau.

A memorial service celebrating Marilyn’s life will be held on October 24, 2026, at [TIME] at Adamson Life Celebration Home, 2000 47th Ave., Greeley, CO 80634.

In keeping with Marilyn’s wishes and her lifelong love of beauty, those attending her memorial are warmly invited to wear pink.

Flowers may be sent to Adamson Life Celebration Home. Contributions may also be made toward a memorial bench to be placed in Marilyn’s honor via the Smith Family Foundation, 6215 W. 14th St. Rd., Greeley, CO 80634. Alternatively, donations to Pathways of Northern Colorado Hospice may be designated in memory of Marilyn Smith.