Marilyn L. Cyr

Marilyn L. Cyr, age 92 of Appleton, passed into eternal peace on May 2, 2025. Marilyn was born on April 13, 1933 in Madison, WI and was the daughter of George and Hazel (Stondall) Nelson. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Hazel; beloved husband, Richard (Dick) Cyr; daughter, Janette Cyr; sister, Lucille (Nelson) Hoskins; and brother-in-law James Hoskins. She is survived by her children Renee (Scott) Vandenberg, Karen (John) Holtan, Dave (Natalie) Cyr; Jody LaPlante; grandchildren, Kristen Holtan, Nicole Holtan, Faith Vandenberg, Layne (Kollin) Stirn, Grace Vandenberg; son-in-law, Gary Knoblach; and nieces Carol Hoskins and Amy Verheyden. 

Marilyn’s childhood was filled with many happy memories. Much of her childhood was spent at her family’s summer cottage on Lake Monona in Madison. The cottage had a beautiful view of the Madison capitol building right across the lake. She was surrounded by family and many close family friends who gathered often at their cottage. Marilyn’s family was very musical, so a typical gathering included her mother Hazel playing the organ, and her father George on the banjo. Her love for music was displayed in many ways. She found great joy in playing the piano and dancing to ABBA! Her family’s musical talent has been passed on to several of her children and grandchildren. Another very memorable time was celebrating the 4th of July on the lake. This celebration became a cherished tradition that spanned for over 50 years. Marilyn had a passion for writing, and one of her favorite writing projects highlighted the wonderful childhood memories she shared with her sister “Lou Lou”. In addition, she and Dick dedicated many hours researching genealogy, which was compiled into family history books that will be treasured for generations.

Marilyn had a strong love for horses, which was nurtured early on by her Uncle Freeman purchasing her first horse, Comanche. She rode every opportunity she could as a child, including taking advantage of special opportunities such as riding in the Stoughton parade. Her parents were from Stoughton, and for one parade she was asked to ride the local, beloved doctor’s horse in the parade. The pride she felt from this opportunity remained with her throughout her life.

After graduating from high school, Marilyn attended UW–Madison, where she met the love of her life, Dick Cyr. They were married on January 30, 1955. Just days after their wedding, they embarked on what would be a very exciting time in their lives. They set out for the Island of Oahu, where Dick would be stationed for the next two years while serving as a Navy pilot. Their unique experiences and visits from family members and friends were captured in Marilyn’s most recent writing that shared the wonderful times they had while living in paradise. 

After returning to the mainland, Marilyn and Dick lived in Madison and started their family. Dick’s career would take them to Pennsylvania, back to Madison, and eventually to the Fox Valley. Marilyn focused heavily on her family for the coming years. This included sharing her love of horses with her children. Marilyn and Dick spent countless hours riding and caring for their horses, while nurturing their children’s interests in horses as well. She had many special friends at the farm that she thoroughly enjoyed sharing her passion with.

When caring for horses became a bit more difficult later in life, Marilyn and Dick “downsized” from horses and poured their hearts into the canine world. Her love for Golden Retrievers and Shelties replaced just a bit of what she was missing from not having horses any longer. She was also able to maintain her love for the water by living on Little Lake Butte des Morts for over 30 years. The memories that were made with her entire family and many friends at the lakefront property are priceless. Piano playing, grilling out, planting flower gardens, boating, waterskiing, jet skiing, and of course … campfires with s’mores. Marilyn’s home was always open to anyone with a warm welcome. At 75, she was still riding a waverunner with her grandchildren and running agility trials with her dog Buddy!

As Marilyn’s children became older, she continued on her aquatic career path. Her journey began in her teenage years when she started teaching swim lessons for the Red Cross on Lake Monona in Madison. Her dedication to water safety brought her to a unique and memorable role with a mobile swim school—an innovative semi-trailer pool that traveled across Madison, bringing swim lessons to children throughout the community. She later began teaching at the Madison East YMCA. After moving to Appleton, she continued her work at the Appleton YMCA. What started as a teaching position, grew into a remarkable 36-year career, culminating in her role as Aquatics Director. In that time, she created and implemented programs that are still cherished and utilized today. Marilyn’s legacy lives on in the thousands of swimmers she taught, the programs she built, and the lives she enriched through her passion, kindness, and unwavering belief in others.

Marilyn’s kind, giving and compassionate nature was further shown through her volunteer work with Special Olympics. She also was a dedicated supporter of veterans through the Wounded Warrior Project. Her ultimate show of love and compassion came when she cared selflessly for Dick at home throughout his terminal illness. She credited God and her faith for helping her through very difficult times.

Marilyn, “Grandma Mimi”, will be missed greatly by her family and many cherished friends. She spent a lifetime building relationships that mattered, and her family has been blessed with the opportunity to continue enjoying those special relationships with friends she has made along the way. For that, we are very grateful. We extend our deepest appreciation to the staff at The Heritage, where she spent the last two years of her life continuing to build meaningful relationships.

Memorial donations can be made to Wounded Warrior Project or Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Visitation will be held from 1:00-3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at Calvary Bible Church, 1450 Oakridge Road, Neenah, WI with a memorial service to follow at 3:00 p.m. Please park in the West parking lot and enter through Door 15.