Marilynn Justice, age 82, journeyed to Heaven on July 28, 2021. She was born in Kalamazoo on December 5, 1938. Marilynn always lived in Southwest Michigan, spending her childhood on family farms in Scotts and Portage, her married-with-kids life on Vanderbilt, and retired years at Klines Resort and The Vineyard Assisted Living. She graduated from Portage Public Schools and Albion College with a degree in Elementary Education after only three years. For her final semester, she studied in Hawaii where she met her husband Leroy “Jim” Justice. In their early marriage, Marilynn was an elementary school teacher with Portage Public Schools then poured her heart into motherhood for several years and raised four incredible children while she continued to substitute teach, tutor, and work on a groundbreaking remedial reading outreach program in Portage. In addition, she was a founding member of Chapel Hill United Methodist Church where she became a secretary and pastoral assistant. Later, she worked with and retired from KRESA’s Young Adult Program.

Everyone whose life Marilynn graced will remember her uniquely. She was a woman of strong faith and a giving heart who dedicated her life to helping others through charitable work. She kept us on our toes with her quick wit and brilliant mind, and entertained us with her creative written stories, poems, devotionals, and songs. She was a hostess extraordinaire who would create extravagantly decorated events with feasts and treats fit for royalty, followed by ingeniously planned game nights with mini “stores” and novelty prize shops for the kids to spend their penny winnings. Anyone who met her will remember the cards, presents, food, baskets, and gifts she religiously gave to others throughout her entire life.

Marilynn was preceded in death by her daughter, Jill (Henry) Hosbein; her son, Matthew (Krista) Justice; her husband, Leroy “Jim” Justice; parents, Howard and Olive (McGowan) Miller; grandparents, and many loved ones. Surviving Marilynn is her son, Jim (LuAnne) Justice; daughter, Jackie Justice; grandchildren, Samantha (Gordon) Lee, Miranda Hosbein, Trevor (Meredith) Justice, Madelyn (Patrick Melby) Brown, Molly Brown, Olive Justice, and William Justice; great grandchildren, Caden, Lydia, Abbott, Leighton, and Emerson; sister, Jackie Fletcher; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.