Marilyn is a cradle Catholic and a Cursillista. She and her husband, Bill, are parishioners at Holy Savior, the first Catholic Church in Clinton, Mississippi.

Marilyn’s parents and a handful of other young couples founded Holy Savior in 1966. At the time, Catholics were rare in the deep south—often met with curiosity, suspicion, and outright opposition. Her parents’ devotion and Marilyn’s own experiences with anti-Catholicism strengthened her own faith, as well as inspiring her to oppose unfairness toward minorities and marginalized people.

One of the first women to receive an MBA from the University of Southern Mississippi, Marilyn had a long career in Human Resource Management, part-time consulting, and instruction of public managers and elected officials. After her retirement, she and Bill opened a real estate brokerage. They are community volunteers and are past recipients of Clinton’s Outstanding Citizens of the Year award.