Marilyn played a key role starting and shaping the C.W. HOG program. In the early 1980s when we were putting in long nights, struggling with writing C.W. HOG's first federal grants, Marilyn freely volunteered her time. She was the sensible one among us, the person who kept us on task, did all of our editing and was our final check to make sure that the proposal was free of spelling and grammar errors.
We didn't have any luck on our first federal grant attempt, but the second one was accepted, and with the infusion of federal dollars, C.W. HOG was finally off the ground and rolling. Marilyn was truly an integral part of the success of that grant. Without the start-up funding that it provided, C.W. HOG would not exist today.
Marilyn loved the outdoors and river trips. She was on the first C.W. HOG raft trip down the Main Salmon and went on several trips on the Alpine Stretch of the Snake. She rode horses, journeyed to the elk refuge in Jackson and took the tram the top of Rendezvous Peak at Teton village. She sit-skied down the slopes of Pebble Creek and even tried martial arts. For years she served on C.W. HOG's Board of Directors.
To many of us in C.W. HOG's extended family, Marilyn was our mom. She was a quiet-spoken woman with a heart as big as the Idaho outdoors. If any of us ever needed a little advice or encouragement, Marilyn was there to give it. In a fast-paced, changing world, Marilyn was the one constant. She never changed. Her feet were always planted firmly on the ground and her internal moral compass was always true.
Every fall, she bundled up in a bulky jacket and put on pair of white,
furry ear muffs. Sitting in her wheelchair behind a small card table
with a blanket draped over her lap, Marilyn would sell tickets and warmly
greet people attending C.W. HOG's main fund raiser, the Pig Out.
She never missed a year. Each September you could count on her to
be there, braving the chilly nights, never complaining, helping C.W. HOG
as she had for years. We'll miss Marilyn at the next Pig Out.
We'll miss her dearly.