Marilyn Heiner

Marilyn Heiner, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, friend, daughter, and sister, passed away on March 6, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Born in Oakley, Idaho, on December 22, 1931, to John F. Martin and Claudia McMurray Martin, Marilyn was the oldest of six children. She is survived by her sisters Evelyn, Laurell, and Jean, and her brothers Johnny Ray and Ronny Kay. She graduated from Oakley High School in 1950, where she was named Prom Queen alongside Bob Heiner, the Prom King. A member of the Oakley Marching Band, she played the trombone with great enthusiasm and cherished her time as a lively social presence among her friends and classmates. Shortly after graduation, she married the love of her life, Robert (Bob) Heiner, in the Salt Lake Temple on September 19, 1951.

Marilyn was a woman of many talents and remarkable energy. While supporting Bob as he earned his PhD in Plant Genetics, she worked as an executive secretary, later earning her degree in Interior Design from the University of Minnesota in 1973. She worked for many years as an interior decorator at JCPenney before founding her own company, Interiors by Marilyn. All of this she accomplished while raising their six children: Jill, Randy, Greg, Jan, Mark, and Jeff. She was known for her exceptional cooking, her beautifully organized dinner parties, luncheons, and picnics, and her ability to create warm, inviting spaces filled with beauty, joy, and laughter. Marilyn loved her family deeply and devoted herself to seeing her children and grandchildren live happy, successful lives.

In 1977, Marilyn and Bob moved with their sons Mark and Jeff to Loveland, Colorado, where Bob led a research facility developing hybrid wheat varieties. She fell in love with the Rocky Mountains and often drove to Estes Park, sharing countless hiking trips, camping adventures, and family reunions with her children and grandchildren. After nine years in Colorado, the family moved to Overland Park, Kansas, and in 1993 they returned to Salt Lake City to retire near family and their beloved Oakley, Idaho. Marilyn’s love of the humanities—art, literature, poetry, history, philosophy, music, and theater—shone through in all she did. She enjoyed antiquing, sewing, quilting, baking, playing cards, and hosting social gatherings of every kind. For more than twenty years after retirement, she volunteered with the Utah Heritage Foundation, leading tours of the Governor’s mansion and sharing her knowledge of Utah history with warmth and enthusiasm. Her happy, bubbly personality and genuine kindness drew people to her throughout her life.

Marilyn is survived by five children, twenty-one grandchildren, thirty-seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.