Family and friends are remembering Marilyn Henry and sharing this remembrance with her community:
Marilyn Margaret Henry, a sweet, sassy, and loving mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and aunt, passed away on January 10, 2026, in Seattle, at the age of 78.
Marilyn was born on February 3, 1947, in the Philippines, where her parents Edward (Ted) and Enriqueta (Katie) Lenton met/married during WWII. They moved to Seattle when she was 1 and where she spent the rest of her life. She had 3 younger brothers, Jim, Ron and David, whom she was very close to. She was a lifelong West Seattle resident having attended Jefferson Elementary, Madison Middle School, and West Seattle High School. She married Charles (Tom) Henry, and they raised two daughters, Tracey Hilton and Amey Nutter, in a house in the Riverview area of West Seattle. And, although she had a successful career supporting the finance operations of various auto dealerships in the area (Gene Fielder and Huling Bros.), the focus of her life was always her family, her friends, and her church. In addition to watching closely after her nieces and nephew (known to them as Auntie Mimi) over the years, Marilyn or “Lola” was a devoted grandma to her two grandkids Olivia and Ryan. Lola is Grandma in Tagalog, but she was called that by other friends and family because it just fit her. She was everyone’s grandma.
Marilyn did not travel much but when she did, it was almost always to visit family – grandkids in California, family in Missouri – you get the picture. That was what filled her cup. Learning about what other people were up to and spreading the word gave her great pleasure. For her, a life well lived really just involved being there for other people. Anytime anyone needed help with anything, all they had to do was ask – ride to an appointment, trip to the airport, dog sitting, babysitting for the weekend – you name it. Everyone knew that Marilyn had their back.
Over the years Marilyn was involved in a few different churches around the Seattle area. Although she was not deeply religious, she loved the routine and the fellowship. She also had close connections to her pastors over the years many of whom she stayed in touch with even after they had moved on. That was another display of her loyalty – once you were included in Marilyn’s world you were there for life.
Marilyn was also an avid reader and after retiring she spent much of her time doing just that. There was not a book that Oprah recommended that she did not read. She enjoyed her afternoon “stories” and doing the Sunday NYT crossword puzzle. She loved Dim Sum, Lumpia, Salmon Dip, and Chicken Adobo. She loved classic movies, golden age of Hollywood celebrities and music, in particular Frank Sinatra but also more modern crooners like Steve Tyrell. “Good wishes” videos she received from both Steve Tyrell and Smokey Robinson just a few weeks before she passed may have been a final highlight.
For the family and friends that Marilyn has left behind, it is difficult to picture a life without her. She was such a stable figure for so many people for so many years. But, while she will be deeply missed, she will always be remembered as our Lola.
The family is hoping to dedicate a bench plaque in her honor in the park located directly across the street from her house so that we can sit with her and enjoy the view of the Cascades.
In lieu of flowers, if you are interested in contributing, please send donations to @Amey-Nutter (Venmo – please include Marilyn’s bench in notes). A more formal memorial service will be held in the Spring and date and location will be shared as soon as set.
And, if you have your own memories of Marilyn that you would like to share, you can do so on her guestbook at emmickfunerals.com/obituaries/marilyn-henry
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)