Obituary of Marilyn Rae Stucki

10 a.m. Tuesday, January 3, 2012 Yelm LDS Church Marilyn Rae (Barrus) Stucki Marilyn, 60, passed away peacefully due to complications with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) on Thursday, December 29, 2011 at her home in Yelm, Washington, surrounded by her loving husband and family. At the center of Marilyn’s life was her devotion to her family and her faith. Her great legacy is the love she shared with her husband, Gene, and the family they raised together. Gene was entirely attentive to her every moment of their 43 years of marriage, and was her faithful and tireless caregiver for the final years of her life. As a wife, Marilyn believed she planted seeds that would certainly come to fruition, whether good or ill. She often asked herself if she was any fun to live with, and charted her course accordingly. As a mother, she taught her children to love the Lord and to serve Him, and to be responsible for their own happiness. Her home was a place of refuge to friends and family alike, full of love and cheer and laughter. As a friend, she listened well, posed wise questions, and offered counsel when asked. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Marilyn spent countless hours studying theology, teaching seminary, and sharing her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel, particularly with those who sought her help and wanted the peace and happiness she clearly possessed. For most of her adult life, she played the organ for church services and directed the church choir. She loved music and reading and cooking. She could be counted on for lively debates; she thoroughly researched and staunchly defended her conservative political views. She was an avid, lifelong learner, and taught herself everything from playing the piano, the organ, and the guitar to decorating cakes and remodeling her bathroom. Marilyn was born in Moscow, Idaho to James L. Barrus and LaMoyne Jensen Barrus. While living in Moscow, she met and married her husband, Gene, just after graduating from Moscow High School in 1968. The couple moved to Springfield, OR and their first four sons were born there. The family resided for many years in Lacey, WA, where their youngest son and only daughter were born. They also lived in Pleasantview, UT and Enumclaw, WA before moving to Yelm, WA. Marilyn is survived by her husband, Merrill Gene Stucki; 20 grandchildren; her sons, David (Nichole) Stucki of Oregon, Dan (Julianna) Stucki of Yakima, Doug (Melanie) Stucki of Auburn, Brian (Ann) Stucki of Utah, Brandon (Becca) Stucki of Olympia; and her daughter, Dawn (Chris) Layton of Maryland. Marilyn’s brothers, Jeffrey Barrus of Alaska and Michael Barrus of Utah; and sisters, Sylvia Smith of Olympia and Liz Fryer of Oregon also survive her. In 2010, Marilyn was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). She and her family are subjects in a Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine study of ALS that reported a major breakthrough in August of 2011. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be sent to Northwestern University ALS research. Please leave memories of Marilyn or condolences for the family in the Guestbook below.