Marilyn Luck died peacefully on May 21, 2026. She was born on February 26th, 1934, in Park Falls, Wisconsin to Joe Gotz and Freda Gotz (née Nordin). She had two older brothers, Bill and Russell. In 1938, the family moved from their logging camp in the North Woods of Wisconsin to a farm in the Southern Wisconsin town of Campbellsport. Marilyn finished High School second in her class. She ignored her father’s advice to work as a clerk at the local feed mill and accepted a scholarship from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she graduated with a B.A. in 1956. Marilyn took a position as a Home Economics teacher in Belmont, where she also (to the surprise of those aware of her aversion to exercise) taught Gym.

In 1957, she sent an inquiry to the Youngstown Cabinet Company about purchasing cabinets for the school kitchen. A salesperson named Jim Luck made a sales call to follow up. At the end of the day, they happened to be filling up their cars at the same service station, and he asked her if she’d ever be interested in going out on a date. She didn’t think dating a traveling salesman was a good idea, but to be polite, she told him there was a basketball game at the high school that night. During the game, she was surprised to see Jim walk in. Ms. Gotz invited him to join her for coffee at another teacher's house after the game, and he accepted. The next year, they were married at Mount Olive Lutheran Church.

Marilyn and Jim raised three sons in Madison: Dan, Bob, and Steve. In 1963, Marilyn helped Jim start a new business, Modern Kitchen Supply. The business is now owned by Dan, who renamed it Bella Domicile. Marilyn was involved in the PTA and sang in the choir at Mt. Olive. She struggled with alcohol and eating disorders and became active in Alcoholics Anonymous and Overeaters Anonymous. She helped numerous women to address their addiction issues, and stayed in touch with many of them for decades.

In 1995, Marilyn and Jim moved to Sun City, Arizona, where they were involved with the local RV club, and Marilyn continued to help others with their addictions. In 2012, Jim was diagnosed with dementia, and they moved to the Sierra Winds retirement community in Peoria. Marilyn faithfully cared for Jim for 8 years until he died in 2020.

Marilyn is survived by her three sons, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Her family would like to thank the staff at Sierra Winds for the wonderful care they gave to Marilyn.

A Celebration of Life and Memorial Service will be held for Marilyn at 2 pm on Friday, July 31, 2026, at the Sierra Winds Chapel, 17300 N. 88th Ave, Peoria, AZ. If you cannot attend in person, the service will be livestreamed here: https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/98187796919

In lieu of flowers, Marilyn’s family requests that donations be sent to:

Sierra Winds Charitable Foundation, 17300 N. 88th Avenue, Peoria, AZ 85382