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~Marilyn Ann Thigpen~
HOUSTON: Marilyn Ann Thigpen, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and teacher departed this earth to be with her Lord on April 18th, 2026. For 88 years she was defined by her faith, kindness, and her capacity to love. With that love came an unwavering dedication to the people and events that shaped her life. Her first true love was her husband, Arnold. They met at Southwest Texas State Teacher’s College (now Texas State University) in 1957. During their first date they took a drive to Devil’s Backbone near Canyon Lake, Texas. Once they had stopped, Arnold pulled a shoebox from under the driver’s seat. In the shoebox were lebkuchen cookies (German gingerbread) that his mother made only on the rarest of occasions. He offered her the shoebox and Marilyn decided then and there that if Arnold would share something so highly coveted that it must be true love. There was no turning back for them and they were married on Feb. 7th, 1959. For the rest of her life Arnold was her Superman. Many years later as she watched Arnold walking along the beach in Galveston, Texas collecting shells, she remarked with a smile on her face, “I just love that man”. And she did, until her very last breath. In addition to her husband, she also loved her families, and yes, during her lifetime Marilyn was the emotional center of several families, all of whom benefitted from her love. The first was her immediate family. She had two children with Arnold; Laurie and Eric, and later two grandchildren from Laurie; Faith (21) and Luke (18). Her immediate family was always her priority whether it was preparing meals, attending school or sporting events, or simply offering a smile or gentle words of encouragement. However, as much a she loved her children, she had a special place in her heart for her grandchildren. Her role as “Nana” was one that she truly cherished. In her last days when much of her ability to communicate had been taken from her, she would smile and a twinkle would appear in her eye when Faith or Luke walked into her room. The second family that Marilyn loved was the family that she formed at Holy Cross Lutheran Church Pre-School. She enrolled her daughter there in 1972 and something clicked. She knew this place was special and that she could apply her teaching skills to benefit and shape young lives. And this she did for almost 40 years; first as a teacher, and then as the school director. The school grew and prospered under her directorship. She loved working there so much; she would have probably done it for free. When her 70th birthday was nearing and the prospect of throwing a big celebration at the school was mentioned by her family, she said, “Oh no, we can’t do that. No one at Holy Cross knows I am that old and they might ask me to retire if they found out.” When she finally did retire, school administrators kept calling her back because they didn’t really know how to get along without her. Given her love for the school and her sense of duty to the other teachers and students, she always went back. Sometimes it was only to act as a substitute teacher or to run the music program but, in any case, her actual retirement did not actually happen for several years after her “retirement”. By the time that Marilyn finally did leave the pre-school at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, she had taught the grandkids of many of the kids she taught when she first arrived. The third family for which Marilyn had great love was her church family at Fair Haven United Methodist Church. She began attending in 1970 and was a faithful member for the rest of her life. She had a deep and abiding love for Christ and the word of God and placed her unwavering trust in the Lord. As with many, her faith sustained her during life’s more trying times and reinforced her capacity for love and understanding. She was always willing to share her faith with those who reached out but her faith was most prominently on display in the way she lived her life. She loved her family and friends but her love of God was essential to who she was. The final great love in Marilyn’s life was her love of singing. She started singing in a trio at Southwest Texas and continued to sing for the rest of her life. She was a member of the Celebration Singing group, where she truly enjoyed the friendships she made and singing at Nursing Homes throughout the Houston area. She also combined her love for singing and her ability to teach by teaching the Children’s choir at Fair Haven. She was featured in many singing roles in church plays and special events. Even after her days of performing were behind her she still attended rehearsals with the Celebration Singers just to enjoy the music and comradery. As much as her family and friends are grieving her passing, it is of great comfort to know that she lived a life defined by her love of others and their love for her and that she is now at peace and rests for eternity with her Lord. Marilyn, Mom, Nana, Mrs. Thigpen; We love you and we will miss you dearly, but are rejoicing that you are at Peace with the Lord Almighty. Graveside service 12 noon on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at Hebron Cemetery near Yoakum with Pastor Bob Luton officiating. Memorial contributions may be given to Holy Cross Early Learning Center of Houston, 7901 Westview Dr. Houston, Texas 77055. Arrangements by Thiele-Cooper Funeral Home in Yoakum 361-293-5656. |