Marilyn N Carmen

Marilyn N. Carmen passed away on June 13, 2025, at the age of 92. Marilyn was born on November 28, 1932, and raised in Bethlehem, NH, the daughter of George T. and Ethel G. Noyes. She received her early education in Bethlehem schools and attended boarding school at St. Johnsbury Academy in St. Johnsbury, VT. She then went on to study at the University of Vermont in Burlington, graduating in 1954. From there she began to work in her father’s insurance agency in Bethlehem as a secretary/receptionist supporting the family business.

Marilyn loved to sing and in the mid-1950’s joined the North Country Chorus, a community singing group based in the Upper Connecticut River Valley towns in Vermont and New Hampshire. It was here she met her future husband, the Rev. David R. Carmen. He said he originally smiled at her because he “just wanted a date.” That date turned into 54 years of marriage as they were married on August 22, 1959. Together they served many Congregational churches in New Hampshire, Vermont, Alaska, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois over a 40-year career. They created lasting connections within these church communities and made meaningful life-long friendships as a result.

Marilyn and David were avid campers who took their family cross-country on summer vacations. They also participated in church family and youth camps with both taking on camp counseling duties. There was rarely a summer that was not spent outdoors in the Carmen family! Marilyn was a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan and faithfully listened to their games on WGN radio if the signal was within range. One Mother’s Day, upon her request, was spent at the iconic Wrigley Field, cheering on the Cubbies. It was a memorable outing for us all!

Marilyn continued her love of music and sang in every church choir and many community choruses, including a return to the North Country Chorus, throughout her life. She also was a voracious reader of newspapers, magazines, and novels of all genres. As a result of being a minister’s wife, she often became the de facto church secretary and newsletter editor honing her own writing and editing skills along the way.

In 1999 Marilyn and David moved to Idaho to retire and be close to family. They continued to travel, and explored the Western United States by camping, taking tours, and exploring on their own. Music continued to be important as they sang in the Wright Congregational UCC choir, while also attending community choral and orchestral performances and school performances of their grandchildren. Marilyn enjoyed quilting, bird watching, and doing puzzles of all kinds in the years she and David had in retirement together.

She and David took an active role in the lives of their grandchildren whether they lived near or far away. They enjoyed hosting everyone for family celebrations such as birthdays and holidays or the annual Memorial Day BBQ and croquet tournament in their backyard! They made sure the grandchildren knew how to cook, catch a fish, plant, harvest and eat from a garden, build with Legos, and sing around the campfire.

After David passed away in 2014, Marilyn moved to Garden Plaza of Valley View in Boise and enjoyed a combined total of 10 years at the independent and assisted living facilities there. She enjoyed making new friends and taking part in the planned and more spontaneous activities that took place. She became well known for her easy laughter and her vast knowledge of music, breaking out in song when she heard someone’s name or a word that brought a lyric to mind.

Her family is grateful to the staff and administration of The Bridge, the assisted living section of Valley View, for their dedicated care and sincere support of Marilyn as her health declined and her world shrank. It was the little things that gave her enjoyment and brought a smile to her face in the last months of life. Thank you for singing with and to her, for joking around while serving meals, and for treating her with dignity and respect when she was confused and even upset. You made a difference! Keystone Hospice staff also provided excellent care and support for which we are also truly grateful.

Marilyn is survived by two daughters and their families. Catherine (husband Linden Boice) of Boise, and Rebecca (husband Philip Sicks) of Brooklyn, NY, along with three grandchildren, Megan Boice-Keith (husband Jacob Keith) of Everett, WA, Lowell Boice of Bellingham, WA, and Rosa Sicks of Minneapolis. MN. Marilyn’s husband, parents and sister, Louise Noyes, predeceased her.

The family will host a service at Wright Congregational United Church of Christ in Boise at a later date.