Marilyn Karen (Christiansen) Darke

Marilyn was born October 22, 1943 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was an only child who grew up in Salt Lake City and graduated from Granite High School in 1961. She graduated from the University of Utah with a BA degree in Education in 1965. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. She taught in the Murray and Salt Lake City school districts.

She married William (Bill) Darke in 1970 and they had a daughter, Amy, in 1974.

After moving to Denver, Colorado in 1979, she taught in the Denver and Cherry Creek school districts.

The family moved to Richland, Washington in 1986. Marilyn taught in the Richland school district until she retired in 1997.

Marilyn had a wide variety of interests, including knitting, sewing, gardening, guitar playing, and watercolor painting. She and her husband used to play tennis together and walked regularly by the Columbia river. She was a member of the Three Rivers Folklife Society and a long-time volunteer at the Tumbleweed Music Festival. She was a regular participant in the monthly Sea Song Singalongs. She was also a member of PEO Chapter DT. Bill and Marilyn were active participants in the Pacific Northwest Mustang Club. Marilyn was a long-time docent at the Crehst museum.

After retirement, they traveled to Hell’s Canyon, the San Juan Islands, Alaska, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. They also had a sailboat that they sailed behind Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River.

During her life, Marilyn was an avid rider of roller coasters. She told Amy that she should always be at the amusement parks when they opened the gates, and then hurry to the roller coaster and ride it consecutively as many times as possible before the line got too long.

She died October 9, 2022 in Richland at age 78. She is survived by her husband Bill, her daughter Amy, and her grandson Duncan Reger. She was preceded in death by her parents T.R. Christiansen and Mary Ellen (Engelke) Christiansen.

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the Alzheimer’s Association. A graveside service will be held at  Sunset Gardens at 1:00pm on October 27, 2022.

From “The Parting Glass”

Of all the comrades that e’er I had

They’re sorry for my going away

And all the sweethearts that e’er I had

Would wish me one more day to stay

But since it falls unto my lot

That I should rise and you should not

I gently rise and softly call

Good night and joy be with you all