Marilyn Jean Switzer, a career educator and the first director of the Grand Ledge Cooperative Nursery School, died at 2:26 p.m. on Monday, July 27, 2026, at the age of 94, according to an obituary published by Farley Funeral Home and Crematory. Born Marilyn Jean Bennett on June 29, 1932, to George and Edith Bear Bennett in Frankfort, Michigan, she lived a life dedicated to teaching, family, and faith.
Early Life and Education in Michigan
Marilyn grew up in Frankfort, Michigan, a resort village along Lake Michigan where her family maintained a summer vacation home for many years, according to records from Farley Funeral Home and Crematory. She was the eldest of three children, sharing her childhood with a brother, Philip “Pawn” Bennett, and a sister, Margaret “Peggy” Jackson. She pursued higher education at Central Michigan University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
During her time in college, she met her future husband, Charles “Chuck” Switzer. The couple married on June 27, 1953, embarking on a 51-year marriage that lasted until his death on July 18, 2004, at age 74. As young newlyweds, they lived in Grand Ledge, Michigan, while Charles pursued his doctorate at Michigan State University, establishing both a lifelong loyalty to Spartan athletics and enduring friendships that included annual summer camping trips in Northern Michigan.
Teaching Career and Community Involvement
Marilyn Switzer’s professional life was defined by her passion for children and education. She served as the inaugural director of the Grand Ledge Cooperative Nursery School. After moving in 1966 to Charleston, Illinois—where her husband accepted a professorship at Eastern Illinois University—she spent 28 years teaching third grade in the Charleston School District before retiring in 1987. Throughout her retirement and up until her death, she frequently reminded acquaintances and strangers alike, “I’m a teacher.”
Outside of the classroom, she was deeply active in her community and church life. While living in Illinois, she and her husband were members of the Morton United Methodist Church. Following her relocation to Nokomis, Florida, where she and Charles spent winters as snowbirds starting in the late 1990s and built a park model at King’s Gate Park in 1997, she later joined the Venice Presbyterian Church after moving to assisted living in North Venice in 2022.
Retirement Travel and Later Years
In retirement, Marilyn and Charles traveled extensively across the globe. According to funeral home records, their adventures included driving a motorhome to Alaska, touring Egypt and the Holy Land, and taking multiple trips to Europe. She was also an avid reader who achieved her goal of reading the Bible from cover to cover, and she enjoyed scrapbooking and crafting personalized greeting cards.
In the late 1990s, her daughters facilitated her move from Charleston to Morton, Illinois, to bring her closer to her grandchildren. She later transitioned to Heartis (now Legacy) Assisted Living in North Venice, Florida, in 2022.
Survivors and Memorial Services
Marilyn Switzer was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Philip, and a grandson. She is survived by her two daughters, Cynthia “Cindi” Watkins Bedell of Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, and Elizabeth “Betsy” Yarcho, along with her husband Matt, of Morton, Illinois. She also leaves behind four granddaughters, eight great-grandchildren, six nieces, five nephews, and seventeen great-nieces and nephews.
Cremation rites were handled by Farley Funeral Home and Crematory. A memorial service is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at Venice Presbyterian Church. In October 2026, her ashes will be interred alongside her husband at Hirstein Cemetery in Morton, Illinois, during a private graveside service for family and close friends, with arrangements coordinated through Knapp Johnson Funeral Home.
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