(L-R) Young Marylin, her oldest daughter, Janis
Lynne (Beecher) Ritchie, and more recent Marilyn
Marilyn Helen (Noah) Beecher's soul was freed from its earthly confines on Friday, December 7th, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. She had spent the week with family and friends in hospice at Camden Clark, and it seemed as though she didn't want to leave. She was strong and stubborn to the end, thus departed our Marilyn Beecher.
Marilyn was a first-generation American, born in Brooklyn, New York on May 3rd, 1931 to Polish immigrants Rubin and Anna Noah. Her father (born Rubin Noach) and mother (born Chana Lakritz) were from Krakow, Poland. They arrived at Ellis Island on March 26, 1930 and became proud United States citizens in November 1936.
In 1939, the Noah family moved from Brooklyn to Dorchester, Massachusetts. In the late 1940s, Marilyn worked as a sales girl at the historic Filene's Department store in Boston, she admitted, so she could indulge herself in the latest fashions.
She dearly loved her many friends (she left behind hundreds of photos of her teen years), and of course, her Mom and Dad and younger siblings, Howard and Estelle. Marilyn was the Boston Spelling Bee champion her Freshman and Sophomore years - the two medals she kept in a red leather case.
In October 1948, Marilyn met husband, James (Jim) Beecher, at the Charlestown Navy Yard when his ship, the USS Leary, was in dry-dock for repairs from a treacherous cruise in the "North Atlantic". Marilyn was visiting the ship with her best friend, Ileane, on a double-dateâ¦but not with Jim. Legend has it that when Jim saw Marilyn, he pulled rank on her date, and went out with her instead. Their relationship suffered through a foiled elopement to Nashua, New Hampshire in December 1948, followed by months apart with Jim on a Mediterranean-to-Cuba cruise. They successfully married at the city hall in Boston, on October 17, 1949.
During the early 1950s, they lived in both Apollo and Mehoopany, Pennsylvania, depending on where the Beecher family was drilling. Oldest daughter, Janis and son, Stevan, were born in Pennsylvania. When the Beecher Drilling Company formed partnerships with P.P. Gunn and Francis Cain to drill natural gas wells, they moved to Calhoun County in April 1955. Their first home was the little house at the end of Sycamore Road in Millstone, then owned by the Everson family. Daughters Robin and Andrea were born in Grantsville.
After moving into Grantsville, Marilyn started working at Rubber Fabricators in the mid-1960s, and after remaining for over 25 years, retired from B.F. Goodrich. Following her retirement, Marilyn became a Grandma for the head start and elementary schools. She loved children, and found great satisfaction working with them and their teachers.
In addition to her parents, Marilyn was predeceased by her husband, Jim, in 2000. This year, Marilyn was also predeceased by her sister, Estelle on September 1st and brother, Howard, on November 13th; and her oldest daughter, Janis (pictured with Marilyn above) on September 17th.
She is survived by son, Stevan and daughters, Robin Goodwin and Andrea (Barry) Fitzwater; seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and eight great-great grandchildren.
Marilyn donated her body to the WVU Medical School Human Gift Registry, and per her request, no service will be held.
We cannot begin to express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to Minnie Hamilton Health System: for the aides and nurses of Minnie Hamilton Long-Term Care, who truly "cared" for and about Mom on a daily basis for many years; and especially for Tracey and Nelda. You are all angels!
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