Obituary of Marilyn Murtha
Marilyn Murtha, 86, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 5, 2024, at Regency Heritage Nursing & Rehab Center.
Born in Newark, NJ, to the late Oscar and Helene (Pierce) Scholz, Marilyn was a life-long resident of Union, NJ. As a teenager, she worked part-time in her father’s Newark pharmacy. Following her graduation from Union High School, she attended secretarial college and then went to work for the Colgate Palmolive Corporation in Jersey City. She worked for Colgate for nearly forty years, rising from secretary to sales liaison. Marilyn retired from Colgate in 1985 when the company was removed from Jersey City.
Following her retirement from Colgate, Marilyn became deeply involved with the work and congregation of the Connecticut Farms Presbyterian Church, in her hometown of Union, NJ. Among many activities, she served as the church’s secretary and editor of the newsletter for many years.
Marilyn was a warm, loving, generous person, with a wry, self-deprecating sense of humor. In addition to her professional career, she spent many years as a caregiver to her mother and grandmother but still managed to find time for friends and family. She loved to travel, and she and her husband, Jack, made many trips around the United States and to other parts of the world. They especially loved going on cruises of any kind. They also loved vacationing in Mohunk, NY and had fond memories of their trips to Ireland, Venice, and Germany. Marilyn also vacationed for many years in Wildwood, NJ, and in later years at Highland Lakes, with her friends from work and high school, a quartet dubbed the Four Roses. She was always ready for any new adventure and enjoyed attending lectures, concerts, and short classes. She loved her home and garden and had a special place in her heart for her neighbor’s Burmese Mountain Dogs, Mali and Halina.
Predeceased by her husband of over 30 years, Jack Murtha, Marilyn leaves behind her brother-in-law, Richard Murtha and his wife Joan, cousins William and Rebecca Todd, Sarah Johannes, Susan Todd, and David and Scott Nothnagel, and extended family and friends.
A visitation will be held at McCriskin – Gustafson Home for Funerals, 2425 Plainfield Avenue, South Plainfield, NJ, on Friday, May 10, 2024, from 2 PM to 4 PM.
A prayer service will be held at the funeral home beginning at 4 PM.
Cremation services will be held privately.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, in Marilyn’s name.