Marilyn Meade Hungarland

Marilyn Meade Hungarland
Easley, SC

Mrs. Marilyn Emma Meade Hungarland, age 91, passed away Thursday, July 23, 2020, in Easley, SC.

She was born in October 1928, in Lake Orion, Michigan, the third daughter of the late Cleburne and Esther Mason Meade.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband of 44 years, Robert (Bob) Louis Hungarland; her daughter, Nancy Anne Hungarland Fallon; and her two sisters, Dorothy (Dot) Siggs and Marjorie (Marge) Thomas.

Marilyn met Bob on a blind date in Oklahoma City on his birthday in 1953, where he was impressed with her ability to eat a steak and drink a beer. She and Bob cherished traveling and went on countless trips, domestic and abroad, during their 44 years together. Following Bob's death, Marilyn continued her travels, and took each of her grandchildren on trips of their individual choosing – little did she know she'd end up on three trips to Alaska and white water rafting well into her 70's.

While she spent her final years in South Carolina to be closer to family, her home was Richmond, Kentucky, where her husband taught at Eastern Kentucky University starting in 1964. She was an elder and committed member of the First Presbyterian Church and served as a charter member and President of the Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary of Richmond, where she was active for over 24 years. She was also a founding member of St. Andrews Retirement Community, where she lived amongst her close friends who had become family in Richmond.

Marilyn had many hobbies and interests that brought her joy. She learned to play the piano when her grandmother paid for lessons for her, Marge, and Dot, during the Great Depression, and she loved to play as it reminded her of her sisters. Following her graduation from Pontiac High School where she was an editor on the newspaper, she attended college before leaving to work for the Pontiac Press full-time and where she was named Women's Editor. She continued to write late into her life, entering short story contests, drafting community newsletters, and writing her own autobiography that she shared with her grandchildren shortly after her 80th birthday. She was proud that her daughter, Nancy, and granddaughter, Claire, had pursued careers in journalism.

Marilyn was a wonderful cook and loved to eat, and she was known for her dinner rolls, Southern dressing at Thanksgiving, and traveling with a fresh batch of homemade Chex mix packed in her suitcase. She was always on board for a trip to Dairy Queen for an ice cream cone or ready for happy hour with a cocktail and snacks.

Above all, she loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her family was fortunate to gather in Chicago in 2008 to celebrate her 80th birthday and then again in Six Mile, SC, in 2018 to celebrate her 90th birthday. The only thing missing from those celebrations was the presence of her daughter, Nancy, whom she missed every day. In the time of COVID-19, her family visited with her on FaceTime, and her son, Mark, visited with her through the window at her retirement community and was by her side once she entered hospice care.

Marilyn is survived by her son, Mark Robert (Debbie) Hungarland of Six Mile, SC; son-in-law Steve (Joanie) Fallon of South Bend, IN; and five grandchildren Kristen Melvin (Nick), Lauren Fielder (Michael), Sam Fallon (Anne), Claire Fallon (Greg Krieg), and Dan Fallon (Megan). She also leaves seven great-grandchildren who will miss their "GG" greatly, as well as her extended family and friends who enjoyed her quick wit even into her 90s. Though her life was long and full, it is impossible not to miss her already.

Services will be held at a later date at her church home, the First Presbyterian Church in Richmond, and she will be laid to rest with her loving husband at Camp Nelson National Cemetery.

Visit RobinsonFuneralHomes.com or Robinson Funeral Home & Crematory-Downtown, Easley.