Marilyn Patricia Bilderback passed away on the cool sunny morning of January 14, 2025, just after the moon peaked in its fullness. She was preceded in death by her husband of over 50 years, Jim Bilderback. Together they traveled the world and set foot on every continent.

Marilyn was born in Eureka to Florence Wilson and Harry Counsil. She and her brother Bryan were raised in Eureka, although they spent many summers at their family cabin in Redway. She loved to swim, play cards and board games, read, and shoot baskets. Bryan passed away tragically while Marilyn was still in high school, and she made great efforts to honor and support her parents while they lived. Her father had an ice cream business during World War II, and she developed quite a sweet tooth which she kept through her life — from baking 15 kinds of Christmas cookies each year to share with friends and neighbors to leading 4-H cake decorating classes to her last meal of milk chocolate.

Upon graduating from Eureka High, Marilyn attended UC Berkeley, where she met a group of friends she stayed in touch with throughout her life. She got her first teaching job in San Rafael and had already been to Europe before moving back to Eureka where she met her husband. Some mutual friends set them up by inviting them over to watch travel slides since he had a passion for travel too. The story goes that he served her dessert but sprayed the whipped cream in her face instead of on her plate, but it seemed like it worked! They were married, and designed their home in Cutten together. While it was being built they rode their bikes each day to check its progress after work, enjoying wildlife like foxes and deer in the undeveloped area.

At that time Marilyn was working at Grant Elementary school. She often mentioned how she loved her job as a sixth grade teacher. She played guitar for her students and engaged them in creative projects. She saved a note from a parent that thanked her for the difference she had made in her daughter’s life to help her become more well adjusted at school, and described her as “hardly recognizable as the same girl who set foot in her classroom at the beginning of the year.”

When her daughter Marcia was born, she took several years off to be at home with her, sewing, knitting and crocheting many of their clothes and making healthy meals. She made her closest lifelong friend in the fabric store during a conversation over a pattern for an outfit, and their daughters grew up as friends. Recognizing the job market was changing, they both decided to go back to school to be more employable and supported each other with this endeavor. Marilyn pursued her special education credential and would prep meals for weeks and months in advance to be able to succeed academically while taking care of her family and completing her degree.

She then worked at both Ridgewood and Cutten Elementary schools as a special education teacher. Another mom (and family friend) wrote that she almost magically helped her son catch up from ”second to sixth grade reading level in a few months with her fun and unique ways,” giving him the boost he needed to become successful in school and love reading into adulthood. She also placed a high value on education as a mother, making dedication to homework non negotiable but fun. She was a Campfire and 4-H leader and went to every one of Marcia’s sports events.

During the school year, she was a busy teacher and mom, but she always managed to plan a unique vacation for the upcoming summer. During the summers she loved to read in the sunny backyard with her potted plants while at home. Family vacations varied from touring the Western National Parks to taking a steamboat down the Mississippi River to international travels to the South Pacific, China, and an East African safari.

When Marcia went to college and worked at outdoor educational sites afterward, Marilyn and Jim would always visit and show interest in what she was teaching. When Marcia moved back to teach in Humboldt county, Marilyn attended her classes to teach bookmaking to her students - from kindergarteners to high school English language learners. She always had a way of connecting with the students and they were thrilled to get the opportunity to work with her.

After she retired, she did many classes with OLLI at Cal Poly Humboldt, including local history classes, French language and was a member of the book arts guild. She and Jim traveled more extensively, including trips to Antarctica, India and Bhutan, and many parts of the African continent. They truly enjoyed getting to meet people from different walks of life, and Marilyn took photographs while Jim took videos.

During the year she would create elaborate photo albums of these journeys and gather friends together during the winter months to eat dessert and share adventure stories told through her photos and Jim’s videos. These albums were a great source of pride for her, and she paid attention to every detail and added souvenirs and supplemental material to bring them to life even more.

When her grandson Kaiteo was born, he became a huge focus in her life. She often watched him and went to great lengths to plan activities, spoil him with educational toys, and take him on outings to the Sequoia Park Zoo, the Discovery Museum, and the Natural HIstory Museum. She read him hundreds of books and also gifted him whale watching trips to Monterey Bay and Baja California with his mom. Educational opportunities were one of the most beautiful things she felt life had to offer, and when she couldn’t travel anymore she continued to watch documentaries and read travel accounts and historical fiction. She especially loved to watch nature shows and was very fond of cats, dogs, penguins, and owls in particular.

During the last years of her life she and her husband moved to Especially You Assisted Living. There she was known for her sense of humor and polite ways with the staff. She and Jim liked to eat their meals in the beautiful sunroom, and she was always known to have a book in her hand. After Jim’s passing last March, she developed a close relationship with her niece by marriage that each of them valued immensely.

Marilyn is survived by her daughter Marcia, grandson Kaiteo, nieces and nephews Jo, Jim, Gene, David and David Jr., Mike, Gary, and Rick. She will be missed for her incredible generosity, thoughtful gestures, sense of humor and adventure, and dedication to making the world a better place. A celebration of her life will be held in late spring or early summer for family and friends who would like to attend.