FARMINGTON- Marilyn Lea Ridgley Fuller (September 21, 1936 – July 27, 2016) died in Atlanta, Georgia just a couple of months shy of her 80th birthday. She is survived by her daughter Jennifer Fuller of Atlanta, grandson Colin O’Shea of Atlanta, sister-in-law Jane Ridgley of Memphis, and nieces Amanda Ridgley of Memphis and Melissa Biondi of Philadelphia. She was preceded in death by her mother Mildred Lockwood of Missouri, father Lyle C. Ridgley of Missouri, Brother L. Clark Ridgley of Dallas, step-mother Naomi Ridgley McCreary of Farmington, Missouri, and step-father A. Ray McCreary of Farmington, Missouri.
Marilyn Lea’s ashes will be interred at Doe Run Cemetery, in Farmington, Missouri. The grave-side service is planned for September 17, 2016, and arrangements are being handled by Taylor Funeral Service of Farmington, Missouri.
Marilyn Lea was called Marilyn by family and Lea by everybody else. In a time when most women didn’t go to college at all, or went to college for their MRS degree, Marilyn Lea was the first woman to graduate (Magna cum Laude) with a degree in Economics from Purdue University (1958). She excelled both academically and socially, and was a member of various organizations, including:
Chi Omega Sorority, Mortar Board Honor Society, Delta Rho Kappa Science Honor Society, Theta Sigma Phi National Honor Society, and Industrial Economics Club.
In addition to all of that, she was the Copy Editor for The Debris yearbook in 1958, which was important experience to have, because after working for Procter & Gamble and TWA Airlines, she ultimately ended up at The National Geographic in Washington, D.C., where she was an assistant editor for the children’s edition of the magazine. She met and married a fellow employee of the Geographic and then moved to Atlanta to start a family. She worked as a writer and editor for various companies around Atlanta, eventually ending up with and retiring from Unisys.
Throughout her life, Marilyn Lea was devoted to animals of all kinds, but especially loved Golden Retrievers (her favorite was Duke), and cats. After retirement, she was the backbone of several dog and cat rescue organizations. She opened her home and her heart to hundreds of animals over the years, adopting hundreds of them out and keeping a few for herself. She will be remembered for her fearless defense of the downtrodden and neglected, devoting many hours to the care of little old ladies in driving them around, advocating for better housing, and taking them to court if required. She was constantly in motion, not slowing down even during illness or her advancing age.
In cleaning out her little apartment, there was a pristine miniature rose bush prominently in the window. We shall remember that she always loved flowers.
Marilyn Lea’s ashes will be interred at Doe Run Cemetery, in Farmington, Missouri. The grave-side service is planned for September 17, 2016, and arrangements are being handled by Taylor Funeral Service of Farmington, Missouri.
Marilyn Lea was called Marilyn by family and Lea by everybody else. In a time when most women didn’t go to college at all, or went to college for their MRS degree, Marilyn Lea was the first woman to graduate (Magna cum Laude) with a degree in Economics from Purdue University (1958). She excelled both academically and socially, and was a member of various organizations, including:
Chi Omega Sorority, Mortar Board Honor Society, Delta Rho Kappa Science Honor Society, Theta Sigma Phi National Honor Society, and Industrial Economics Club.
In addition to all of that, she was the Copy Editor for The Debris yearbook in 1958, which was important experience to have, because after working for Procter & Gamble and TWA Airlines, she ultimately ended up at The National Geographic in Washington, D.C., where she was an assistant editor for the children’s edition of the magazine. She met and married a fellow employee of the Geographic and then moved to Atlanta to start a family. She worked as a writer and editor for various companies around Atlanta, eventually ending up with and retiring from Unisys.
Throughout her life, Marilyn Lea was devoted to animals of all kinds, but especially loved Golden Retrievers (her favorite was Duke), and cats. After retirement, she was the backbone of several dog and cat rescue organizations. She opened her home and her heart to hundreds of animals over the years, adopting hundreds of them out and keeping a few for herself. She will be remembered for her fearless defense of the downtrodden and neglected, devoting many hours to the care of little old ladies in driving them around, advocating for better housing, and taking them to court if required. She was constantly in motion, not slowing down even during illness or her advancing age.
In cleaning out her little apartment, there was a pristine miniature rose bush prominently in the window. We shall remember that she always loved flowers.
FARMINGTON- Marilyn Lea Ridgley Fuller (September 21, 1936 – July 27, 2016) died in Atlanta, Georgia just a couple of months shy of her 80th birthday. She is survived by her daughter Jennifer Fuller of Atlanta, grandson Colin O’Shea of Atlanta, sister-in-law Jane Ridgley of Memphis, and nieces Amanda Ridgley of Memphis and Melissa Biondi of Philadelphia. She was preceded in death by her mother Mildred Lockwood of Missouri, father Lyle C. Ridgley of Missouri, Brother L. Clark Ridgley of Dallas, step-mother Naomi Ridgley McCreary of Farmington, Missouri, and step-father A. Ray McCreary of Farmington, Missouri.
Marilyn Lea’s ashes will be interred at Doe Run Cemetery, in Farmington, Missouri. The grave-side service is planned for September 17, 2016, and arrangements are being handled by Taylor Funeral Service of Farmington, Missouri.
Marilyn Lea was called Marilyn by family and Lea by everybody else. In a time when most women didn’t go to college at all, or went to college for their MRS degree, Marilyn Lea was the first woman to graduate (Magna cum Laude) with a degree in Economics from Purdue University (1958). She excelled both academically and socially, and was a member of various organizations, including:
Chi Omega Sorority, Mortar Board Honor Society, Delta Rho Kappa Science Honor Society, Theta Sigma Phi National Honor Society, and Industrial Economics Club.
In addition to all of that, she was the Copy Editor for The Debris yearbook in 1958, which was important experience to have, because after working for Procter & Gamble and TWA Airlines, she ultimately ended up at The National Geographic in Washington, D.C., where she was an assistant editor for the children’s edition of the magazine. She met and married a fellow employee of the Geographic and then moved to Atlanta to start a family. She worked as a writer and editor for various companies around Atlanta, eventually ending up with and retiring from Unisys.
Throughout her life, Marilyn Lea was devoted to animals of all kinds, but especially loved Golden Retrievers (her favorite was Duke), and cats. After retirement, she was the backbone of several dog and cat rescue organizations. She opened her home and her heart to hundreds of animals over the years, adopting hundreds of them out and keeping a few for herself. She will be remembered for her fearless defense of the downtrodden and neglected, devoting many hours to the care of little old ladies in driving them around, advocating for better housing, and taking them to court if required. She was constantly in motion, not slowing down even during illness or her advancing age.
In cleaning out her little apartment, there was a pristine miniature rose bush prominently in the window. We shall remember that she always loved flowers.
Marilyn Lea’s ashes will be interred at Doe Run Cemetery, in Farmington, Missouri. The grave-side service is planned for September 17, 2016, and arrangements are being handled by Taylor Funeral Service of Farmington, Missouri.
Marilyn Lea was called Marilyn by family and Lea by everybody else. In a time when most women didn’t go to college at all, or went to college for their MRS degree, Marilyn Lea was the first woman to graduate (Magna cum Laude) with a degree in Economics from Purdue University (1958). She excelled both academically and socially, and was a member of various organizations, including:
Chi Omega Sorority, Mortar Board Honor Society, Delta Rho Kappa Science Honor Society, Theta Sigma Phi National Honor Society, and Industrial Economics Club.
In addition to all of that, she was the Copy Editor for The Debris yearbook in 1958, which was important experience to have, because after working for Procter & Gamble and TWA Airlines, she ultimately ended up at The National Geographic in Washington, D.C., where she was an assistant editor for the children’s edition of the magazine. She met and married a fellow employee of the Geographic and then moved to Atlanta to start a family. She worked as a writer and editor for various companies around Atlanta, eventually ending up with and retiring from Unisys.
Throughout her life, Marilyn Lea was devoted to animals of all kinds, but especially loved Golden Retrievers (her favorite was Duke), and cats. After retirement, she was the backbone of several dog and cat rescue organizations. She opened her home and her heart to hundreds of animals over the years, adopting hundreds of them out and keeping a few for herself. She will be remembered for her fearless defense of the downtrodden and neglected, devoting many hours to the care of little old ladies in driving them around, advocating for better housing, and taking them to court if required. She was constantly in motion, not slowing down even during illness or her advancing age.
In cleaning out her little apartment, there was a pristine miniature rose bush prominently in the window. We shall remember that she always loved flowers.
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