Marilyn Kay Woods

Marilyn Kay Woods, 70, of Great Falls, passed away on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, of COPD. She was surrounded by her close family at the time of her passing.

She was born on November 18, 1952, in Great Falls, Montana to Arnold and Harriet Anderson. She grew up with her older sister, Cheryl. Marilyn looked up to her older sister and was very close to her. After high school, she joined the Navy. She was one of the first females to be accepted. After four years of service, she married Richard Woods, who was also in the Navy. Together they had one child, Nikki Woods. It was a short marriage of three years. At the end of their marriage, Marilyn started to work for the National Forest Service where she really thrived in life. Again, she was one of the few women that was on the front lines during a fire, feeding the fire fighters and making sure that they had their supplies. She had worked for the forest service for 18 years when she retired.

Once Marilyn retired from the forest service, she spent a lot of time with her grandkids. She was always there for her family. Anytime someone needed anything, Marilyn was the first person to be there. She loved her family more than anything in the world.

She was a very independent woman. She raised her daughter alone, most of her life. Her favorite phrase was, “You don’t need a man to do something for you. Just because we are women, doesn’t mean we can’t do it ourselves.” Marilyn passed on her determination and independence to her daughter who never forgot those words. Her daughter has, in turn, passed them on to Marilyn’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her sister, Cheryl Slater; daughter, Nikki; son-in-law, Fletch; grandchildren, Aleck, Rachel, Rebecca, and Lloyd; and great-grandchildren, Hayden, Emma, Zoey, PJ, Nolan, Riley, Cambri, Rowen, and Roseleigh.

She was a very loved sister, aunt, mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Marilyn’s family are truly blessed that all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were able to share her life with her. She has made an amazing impression on all of us. She will never be forgotten.