Marilyn Meeks Monaco's Obituary
Marilyn Meeks Monaco passed away peacefully at her home at Oak Hammock on June 14, 2016. She was born in Jacksonville on October 9, 1922, the oldest of the four children of Trent and Mary Meeks. After attending Armstrong Junior College in Savannah, Ga., she married John Monaco, Jr., a pilot and aviation instructor with the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Their family moved several times to follow his career in the Air Force and finally settled in Sarasota. After her children were raised, she returned to school to earn a nursing degree and a Masters in Mental Health Counseling.
Following a meaningful career as a mental health therapist in Sarasota, “Maril” became an inveterate traveler in her later years, independently exploring the U.S. in her Roadtrek and living for a time in Nepal and India. She was an enthusiastic student of world religions, a devout Catholic, a consummate artist, and she possessed an unquenchable spiritual and intellectual curiosity. Maril settled in Gainesville in 2001.
Maril was predeceased by her parents, husband, and brother John. She is deeply missed and beloved by her four children, John Monaco (Barbara) and Lyn Williams of Sarasota, Toby Monaco (Lynn) of Gainesville and Chris Monaco (Rose) of Micanopy, as well as her grandchildren, Greg Brown of Sarasota, Tyler (Colleen) Williams of Tampa, and Eric and Amanda Monaco of Gainesville. Her siblings Earl (Burrelle) and Dolores also survive her.
A memorial service will be held in the Chapel at Trinity United Methodist Church on Saturday, June 25, 2016 at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations to Catholic Charities, 1701 NE 9th St, Gainesville, FL 32609, would be appreciated.
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