Marilyn (Riggs) Rice was born on May 11th, 1946 in Bakersfield CA.  She died on May 29th, 2021 in Anacortes WA, from pancreatic cancer.  In those 75 years, she lived a life full of love.

Growing up in "the noisiest house" in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles, Marilyn attended high school at Louisville HS in Woodland Hills, and gained some small measure of fame for riding a horse to school!  She attended Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, California where she met her fellow student and future husband Ron Rice.  After graduation, Marilyn volunteered for VISTA, and married Ron at the historic Little Brown Church in the Vale, in Nashua Iowa.  Together they raised two boys - Scott and Ken.  Recently Ron and Marilyn celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

There were not only good years – there were good decades.  She was a devoted wife and mother.  Although parenting was a joint effort, she brought her own particular set of skills and experiences that we feel to this day.  Be kind.  Be strong.  Appreciate people and things.  Work hard, but make sure you stop to smell the roses. Take care of yourself and your family.

Marilyn loved Washington, but especially Anacortes.  Washington Park was one of her absolutely favorite places - walking the 2 mile loop nearly every day, rain or shine.  She has travelled the world: all 7 continents!  She particularly loved Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tasmania, and both islands of New Zealand.

Jazz music was a constant theme for her, and she's been around the world on jazz cruises - her favorite being the Montreaux Jazz Festival, and the riverboat cruise down the Rhone River.  She was a frequent listener and patron of KNKX in Seattle, and took many opportunities to see live Jazz music.  She also loved the Seattle Opera, and was a patron of the Chance Repertory Theater in Anaheim, California.

Marilyn's relentless brand of care and encouragement never flagged.  She lived with vigor and a zest for life, making sure that everyone she touched was better for the experience.  She lived so that others could become the best versions of themselves.  She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Ron; her two sons Scott and Ken; her mother Janet Riggs; her brothers Stephen "Jay" Riggs, Vincent Riggs, and Gordon Riggs; and her sisters Frances Riggs and Irina Morris.  She was preceded in death by her father Merle Edward Riggs, and two siblings: Scott and Katherine "Kitty" Riggs.