Beloved mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister-in-law, mother-in-law, and friend, Marilyn Magenheimer Horne left this earth on July 11, 2023, surrounded by family.
Born in 1928 in Brooklyn, NY, Marilyn was the daughter of Helen Hennessy Magenheimer (a first generation American of English Irish descent) and George Magenheimer (born in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany, and proud US citizen and WWI veteran). Marilyn was raised in Rego Park, Queens and attended P. S.49.
Marilyn was a first-generation college graduate receiving departmental honors in Anthropology-Sociology from Queens College in 1951. As did many women of her generation, she learned shorthand and stenography, donned white gloves, and went to work as a secretary at US Rubber, National Shoe Company, The Red Cross, and US Steel. At her first job as a temp, she objected to a "pinup girl "calendar on display in the boss's office. "If you want me to come back," she said after her first day of work, "that has to go!" Her temerity won the day - the pinup calendar came down!
She married Robert J Horne and moved to Pittsburgh PA where she became a homemaker and raised five children, born within a 7-year timespan. Although she lived in Pittsburgh for 40 years, she never lost her distinctive New York accent. In 1992, she moved to Stuart, FL where she remained in residence for the rest of her life. Her home in Stuart became a happy center of activity for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She also had many caring neighbors and friends.
Marilyn had strong views and upheld equally strong values and standards in life. She expected the best of others, and herself, and could be brutally honest when they didn't quite live up to her expectations. She was a constant font of life advice and never stopped trying to help her children become better people.
She raised 5 strong, independent minded and unique children - all hard workers. She loved her children more than anything else in life. We all benefited from her fierce love. She was one of those people often referred to as a force of nature.
She raised her family in the Catholic Church and made sure that religious values and faith were front and center in life. She later expanded her religious sentiment and practice, defining herself as a Christian. She taught her children how to live, how to pray, and placed Jesus at the very heart of everything.
Marilyn also loved to play the piano and to dance, especially to Big Band era music. She always looked like a million bucks, took impeccable care of her clothes, and loved the undeniable charm of hats. She had a lifelong interest in and talent for interior design. She loved her Florida residence and continually "tweaked" it, as she said, it to make it the perfect place for her. She was a talented seamstress and even
did tailoring, a long-lost skill. She had a prolific macramé period and learned to apply a stunning sponge painting technique to interior pillars and walls.
Marilyn loved to laugh and had a great sense of humor. She loved her golden retrievers and all animals, but especially dogs. She was well organized and always felt special compassion toward her elders.
She was the strongest woman we ever knew.
She is preceded in death by her parents and her daughter Loris. She is survived by her sister Phyllis, her daughter Janet, her sons, James, Rob, and Chad, 13 grandchildren, and one great grandchild.
Her favorite hymn was "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory." In lieu of flowers, please consider donating, in memory of Marilyn Horne, to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation @ T2T.org.

God Bless America.