Marilyn Lenore Nichols passed away in the early hours of May 28, 2026.
She was born to Marybelle Whitehead Oian and Captain Edwin Oian in 1935, in Coronado, California. She was the first of two children; her sister, Karen, was born eight years later, in 1943.
As Marilyn’s father was in the Air Force, she moved around quite a bit as a child, spending time in several southern states before finally graduating from Washington High School in San Francisco.
She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Westmont College, in Montecito, CA, in 1957, and her Master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Alabama, in 1992. She was also a member of Beta Phi Mu (the Library Science International Honor Society).
Marilyn was a junior high English teacher in the Chula Vista public schools. She met her husband, Bernie Nichols, in 1958, and they were married in 1959 at the Brooklyn Heights Presbyterian Church, in San Diego. They had three children, Laura, Jonathan, and Noel.
The family moved to Minnesota with Bernie’s career in super-computing in 1968, where Marilyn raised her three kids. At times, she worked as a substitute teacher in the Twin Cities, as well as a part-time librarian in the Hennepin County library system.
Moreover, though, she was a classic stay-at-home mom of the era, managing cooking, cleaning, house oversight, husband, and the chaos of three children and their lives. It was in this role that she was an exceptional woman. She was kind, loving, optimistic, patient, and calm — to the point of Herculean strength. She made clothes for the family, was adept behind a sewing machine, and found relaxation as a voracious reader and artistic expression through needlepoint.
She loved flora and fauna, the changing seasons, and always preferred cooler weather.
When the kids were grown, Marilyn and Bernie returned to his roots, in the Deep South. Marilyn commuted six hours a day, at times, from Rome, GA, to Tuscaloosa, AL, to earn her Library Science degree. Marilyn and Bernie then returned to her roots, where she became the Collections and Technological Services Librarian at Voskuyl Library, at Westmont, from 1993 to 2011. She loved Westmont and the never-ending chore of cataloguing books.
She spent the last 15+ years of her life at Samarkand, where she enjoyed time with friends, card games of Hand and Foot, nourishing flowers and plants, and doting on her children and grandchildren as much as possible.
She is preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Karen, and her husband, Bernie. She is survived by her cousin, Bob Rankin; her children, Laura, Jonathan, and Noel; and her grandchildren, Brian, Amanda, Asa, Leo, and Jasper.
She adored her husband, her children, and their families. Faith and education were foundational pillars in her life: her Christian faith remained steadfast throughout, and she never stopped pursuing education.
Marilyn’s favorite treat was coffee ice cream. Next time you have some, think of her.
Charitable giving in memoriam can be made to the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, working with homelessness and addiction.
