Marilyn was born on June 12, 1931, to Joseph W. and Ethel Hancock Libbey and passed away on February 2, 2025, at Island Hospital in Anacortes, Washington. Marilyn was born on Ebey’s prairie at the home of her maternal grandparents Justus and Ruby Hancock. She was a descendant of early Whidbey pioneers on both sides of her family. She was eventually joined by two brothers and two sisters.

Marilyn attended Coupeville schools and was active in several youth organizations including 4-H, campfire girls, rainbow girls and a Methodist youth group, she also sang in the school and church choirs. As a teenager she did a lot of babysitting and worked on her grandfather’s farm every summer, she was able to complete high school in just three years.

In 1949 she married Robert Bailey, and they soon started a family and built their first home, they had six children and when the youngest started school, Marilyn went to work for the USDA, where she soon became manager of agricultural programs, eventually for Snohomish, Skagit, San Juan and Island Counties. She was fortunate to be able to travel frequently to many of the cities and states in the country and to have made so many good friends over the years, Marilyn retired in 1991.

After retirement she did some volunteer work and assisted her husband, Bob, in building houses, raising cattle, and bailing hay. Bob and Marilyn both became rockhounds and spent time traveling throughout the western United States collecting rock and gemstones. Marilyn was a lifetime member of the Island County Historical Society and the Whidbey Island Chapter of the daughters of the Pioneers.

Despite all the other interests in her life her family always came first, one of the greatest joys for her was the annual Bailey family Christmas party.

Marilyn is preceded in death by her parents and Husband Bob Bailey, her daughter Susan Baas and grandson Daniel Bailey. Also, by her sisters Lyla Snover and Janice Stoddard Coffman and brothers Wayne and Leland Libbey.

Marilyn is survived by her sons and daughters-in-laws Russell and Mary Anne Bailey, Robert and NancyBailey, daughters Bonnie (Allen) Kononen, Julia (Fred) Goodman and Roselyn Taylor, nineteen grandchildren and thirty-two great grandchildren, five great great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.