Marilyn Dee MacKenzie
Marilyn Dee MacKenzie, 83, an easy-going woman loved and respected by many, died peacefully with her family by her side on February 3, 2022, at her home in Vermontville, MI. Born in Central Lake, MI on October 24, 1938, to Zemira and Esther (Harter) Zimmerman, Marilyn graduated from Hastings High School in 1956, and later that year married her sweetheart, Donald MacKenzie on Halloween. They lived in Hastings, and later moved to Vermontville where they raised their three children with lots of love and lessons on the importance of family and hard work.
Marilyn was very sharp and enjoyed working at Michigan National Bank as a teller and became Branch Manager at Independent Bank. She was also treasurer at their church in Hastings and later the South Cochran Church of God in Charlotte. Some of the things she was very good at and enjoyed over the years, include crocheting, bowling, gardening and canning the fruits of her labor, making amazing homemade pickles, hunting deer and bear, fishing, and family camping trips. Family meant the world to Marilyn, and she especially enjoyed time spent with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren playing games and just spending time together.
Marilyn is survived by her husband of 65 years, Donald; son, Steven MacKenzie; daughter, Valerie (Thomas) Palmer; grandchildren, Nicole (Richard) Rivera, Curtis Palmer, Darcy (Jason) Nesky, Erin (Joe) Elliston, Derek MacKenzie, and Dena (Christoph) Holzmann; 8 great-grandchildren, Audrey, Ethan, Morgan, Cameron, Avery, Cayden, Dylan, and Joanna; and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her son, Brian; sister, Margaret; and her parents.
Friends and family are encouraged to support Marilyn’s family by attending services or sharing memories on her tribute page at www.prayfuneral.com. A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, May 7, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at the South Cochran Church of God in Charlotte. Memorial contributions are suggested to the South Cochran Church of God. The family is in the care of Pray Funeral Home.