WILMINGTON — We are celebrating the beautiful life and legacy of Marilyn Martin Estabrooks, who passed away April 28, 2026, in Wilmington, North Carolina, at the age of 96. Marilyn’s greatest joy came from her husband, children, extended family, lifelong friends, her cats, her church, and her faith.
Marilyn was born November 27, 1929, in Amesbury, Massachusetts, into the family of Franklin and Margaret (Peg) Martin and older brother Stewart. One of her ancestors was Susannah Martin, who was put to death in 1692 during the Salem witch trials of colonial Massachusetts.
Soon after Marilyn was born, her family moved to the seashore town of Revere in Massachusetts and she began a lifelong love for the beach. While a second grader at the Roosevelt School, Marilyn met the boy who would grow up to become her husband, William (Bill) Estabrooks. The two remained friends throughout high school, though they didn’t become serious until sometime later.
After high school Marilyn attended the Mount Ida School for Girls which at that time offered junior college-level courses and awarded associate degrees. Upon graduation, she got a job working at a bank in Boston, and was proud to be able to purchase her parents their first television set.
Bill joined the Navy in 1950 and was shipped off to Japan during the Korean conflict. While he was home on leave in 1952, Marilyn and Bill were married on April 29 in their hometown. The newlyweds then moved to San Francisco where Bill was stationed.
After Bill was discharged from the Navy, the couple returned to the East Coast and settled into family life with their four children Steve, Sharon (Sherri), Scott, and Penni. Life in Massachusetts was filled with family outings, roadtrips, camping, Scouting, and going to the beach. Marilyn and Bill also took up square dancing and joined the Salem Lancers, a local square-dancing club that met every Friday night and sometimes Saturday nights too.
In 1980 the couple made the move to Wilmington, North Carolina, with their youngest daughter Penni, when Bill accepted a transfer by General Electric.
Marilyn and Bill found a new group to square dance with, and they also took part in weekly games of bridge with friends. They became active members of Pine Valley Methodist Church in Wilmington, where Marilyn sang soprano in the choir and attended adult Sunday School. They also enjoyed taking bus trips with the seniors group at church to attend shows and other cultural events.
Other favorite pastimes for Marilyn included strolling through the mall, playing the piano, going out to eat, taking care of her cats, and being Nana to Penni’s two children, Brandon and Hali. Though she hated sitting still and always wanted to go, go, go, she loved nothing more than to simply sit and “have a chat” with a friend or family member.
After Bill retired from GE, they would make an annual roadtrip back to Massachusetts to see friends and cousins and especially to spend time with daughter Sherri and her husband Frank DiLiberto, and their children Mike and Kristen; and with son Scott and his wife Jennifer, and their twins Gaby and David. A visit home was never complete without multiple trips to the Clam Box in Ipswich for fried clams or stops at Dunkin Donuts for coffee and jelly sticks, which Marilyn claimed she could never get down South.
Marilyn and Bill would also make the drive down to Stuart, Florida, where oldest son Steve and his wife Donna had relocated with their daughters Beth and Sue. While in Stuart they would connect with friends they had made through Bill’s Navy days, and they liked visiting the botanical gardens and the Palm Beach and Brevard zoos. Marilyn particularly looked forward to exploring new shopping territory in Stuart, especially the huge flea market held on weekends. Eventually, Marilyn was able to hold three great-grandchildren—RJ, Cailyn, and Megan—in her arms and see them grow up.
After Bill passed away in 2013, Marilyn continued to enjoy her church and family and friends in Wilmington. She passed away peacefully at age 96, and lives on in her four children, eight grandchildren, five great-grandchildren (which now includes Bellamy and Bowie), and one new great-great-granddaughter (Scarlett) born just this year.
Graveside services are planned for 3 pm Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at Greenlawn Memorial Park, Wilmington.
A formal memorial service is being planned for June 6, 2026, the time and place to be determined.
