Marilyn Mae Gilchrist

Marilyn Mae Gilchrist’s (née Hinckley) story begins with her parents. Her father, William Hinckley, and her mother, May Pearson, were both born in England. May made her way across the Atlantic in 1920, and William in 1910. They were married in 1930 in Hamilton, Ontario. On September 19th, 1940, in Hamilton, a little girl was born. They named her Marilyn Mae Hinckley. Marilyn was an only child. She attended Delta Secondary school in her teen years and studied family law at Fanshawe College. On October 4th, 1963, Marilyn married Robert Gilchrist. The story goes that Marilyn did not want to marry Robert. They had met at a party and Robert had fallen for her, hard. After some reluctance, wedding vows were exchanged. The two moved to Brampton, and a few years later they made the move to Orangeville where they purchased their first home. On March 22nd, 1964, they welcomed their daughter, Kelly, into the world. Kelly was known to be a troublemaker child, stealing cookie dough from the freezer and often being an antagonist to her sister. Kelly wanted the world to know that she also stole the icing off cakes. They welcomed their second daughter, Tamara, on Christmas Day 1967. While Marilyn was in hospital giving birth, Robert was at home enjoying Christmas dinner, and later came to the hospital to also eat the Christmas dinner that they provided for the patients. In later years, Marilyn welcomed 4 grandchildren, Lauren, Meagan, Reilly, and Joshua. She also welcomed 2 great-grandchildren, Alice, and Heidi. Marilyn worked as a legal secretary and a benefits administrator for a time. She often reflected on the times she used the Toronto PATH system to get around the city, and in the future would make fun of her granddaughter for getting lost in it. The family moved around quite a bit: Orangeville, Stratford, Edmonton, London, Toronto, and Thornhill were all homes to them during their lives. They finally settled in Alliston, Ontario in the lovely Green Briar community behind the Nottawasaga Inn. Marilyn was known to be a crafty woman. She knitted, sewed, and did macramé. In her later years, she was a proud member of the Red Hatters Society. In her earlier years, she was a sorority sister in Stratford, belonging to Beta Sigma Phi. She golfed, gardened, and could be a ferocious bridge player. She was also a well-travelled woman. She and Robert visited Florida often, all over the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Europe, Hawaii, and every province in Canada except PEI, and Newfoundland & Labrador. She was a classy broad. Her nails were well manicured, her clothes appropriate for every occasion, her legs "just so" for picture-taking. A model in her early 20s, she had lovely gams and could walk faster in 3-inch heels than others could in flats. She could drive a standard transmission (in heels!) while holding a mug filled to the brim with hot coffee, and spill nary a drop. She could make you come to a halt with a stern look, and she made the very best homemade burgers and potato salad. On October 4th, 2023, Marilyn and Bob celebrated their 60th Diamond wedding anniversary. Our Mom, Nana, and wife passed away on March 1st, 2024, after a brief illness, with Tamara and Kelly by her side. She was 83 years young. We are so grateful to have had her in our lives for as long as we did, and are thankful that her end of life was peaceful.