Marilyn Joyce (Christensen) David

Marilyn Joyce (Christensen) David, aged 87, answered the call of her Heavenly Father on February 13, 2021 to return Home and reunite with family and friends who were waiting for her; including her beloved husband Thomas David, daughter Maureen “Mikki” Easton, grandson Daniel Easton, father William “Bill” Christensen, mother Mabel (Rosse) Christensen, brother Daniel Christensen, and infant sister Beverly Christensen. At the time of her passing, Marilyn resided at the Prairie View Gardens Assisted Living Facility in Kearney, Nebraska. Marilyn was born in a farm house near Cozad, Nebraska, on September 3, 1933. She lived in several Nebraska communities during her life including Cozad, Maxwell, Gothenburg, North Platte, Thedford, and Kearney; as well as the communities of Greeley, Estes Park, and Arvada in Colorado. Marilyn married her high school sweetheart, Tom David, in 1953 and they spent 54 happy years together until his death in 2004. After high school, Marilyn attended Valley College in San Bernadino California. She earned a teaching certificate and taught in a one room school house in the rural Nebraska Sandhills and worked as a substitute teacher in Thedford, Nebraska. She was a published writer and worked as a legal secretary for Tom’s law practice, all while raising their six daughters and, at times, providing a home for nieces and a nephew. Niece Diane “Dee Dee” David was part of the family for several years and was like a daughter. The family moved to Greeley, Colorado when Tom accepted an appointment as the Weld County Attorney in 1976. Marilyn returned to school and earned a Master’s degree in Counseling at the University of Northern Colorado in 1979. She returned to school again and received a law degree from the University of Colorado at age 48. Upon graduation, she clerked in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Hon. J.R. McGrath and practiced law in Greeley at Karowsky, Witwer, Miller & Oldenburg, eventually as a partner, specializing in estate planning and creditor bankruptcy. Following Tom’s retirement and their move to Estes Park, she continued her estate planning law practice at her own firm until her retirement. A devout Catholic, Marilyn was active in her parishes throughout her life including St. Patrick’s of North Platte, NE, St. Thomas of Canterbury in Thedford, NE, Our Lady of Peace in Greeley, CO, Our Lady of the Mountains in Estes Park, CO and Shrine at St. Anne in Arvada, CO. She had a special admiration for Saint Mother Teresa of Kolkata and volunteered at her Sisters of Charity run Seton House in Denver. Marilyn’s work as a counselor at a woman’s shelter ignited a passion for helping abused women at a time before the Violence Against Women’s Act had been passed. She helped to establish and volunteered at the early Rape Crisis Center Hotline and the Domestic Violence Shelter in Greeley. She also served on several Colorado Supreme Court, Colorado Bar Association, Weld County Bar Association, and Colorado Rural Legal Services boards and committees. This included the Supreme Court Grievance Committee, Supreme Court Office of Disciplinary Counsel, Judicial Performance Review Committee, and CBA Ethics Committee. A dedicated UNC Bears fan, she was a member of the University of Northern Colorado Foundation for many years. Much of Marilyn’s service was informal and done quietly, such as offering the warmest of smiles to strangers, heeding Saint Mother Teresa’s words that loneliness can be the greatest poverty. Marilyn is survived by her sister Kay Remus of Lincoln, NE, brother Don Christensen (Sara) of East Hampton, NY, sister-in-law Elaine Grove of East Hampton, NY, son-in-law Bob Easton (Marie) of Kearney, NE, daughter Teresa Sorensen (Dan) of Kearney, NE, daughter Kathie Bajar (Constantino) of Vero Beach, FL, daughter Diana David Brown (Michael) of Estes Park, CO, daughter Janet Meyers (Glenn) of Mercer Island, WA, daughter Laura Fuller (Ernest) of Arvada. CO, as well as 17 grandchildren: Amy Klinginsmith (Shane), Susannah Easton, Father Jon Sorensen, Nate Sorensen (Ashley), Anne Lind (Isaac), Michaela Rybacki (Eric), Kristan Rivera (Arjuna), Angeline Bajar, Brittany Martinez (Ryan), Marissa Ciambotti (Joey), Elizabeth Bratton, Cassandra Hoffer (Kaleb), Ross Meyers (Allesha), Reed Meyers, Beth Meyers (Michée), Jackson Fuller and Leah Fuller, and 17 great-grandchildren: Hailey Easton, Brandon Easton, Brooke Henriksen, Lucy Schroder, Cooper Oligmueller, Harper Oligmueller, Harper Lind, Brooklyn Lind, Milo Rybacki, Sarah Rivera, Saniyya Rivera, Trae Pedraza, Tatyn Martinez, Dominic Ciambotti, Vincent Ciambotti, Kate Hoffer, and Kennedy Hoffer. A Rosary will be held at 1:30 p.m., followed by a funeral Mass at 2:00 p.m., at St. Patrick’s Church on February 22nd, in North Platte, Nebraska, followed by a graveside service at the Plainview Cemetery near Maxwell. In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Marilyn’s memory with an unexpected act of kindness or forgiveness.

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Marilyn Joyce (Christensen) David

September 3, 1933 - February 13, 2021