Marlyn Ann Hamborg
Born to Robert Hamborg and Mildred (Neill) Hamborg June 9, 1953 in Springfield Mass.
Marlyn attended Springfield public schools, and graduated from University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
She was the first in her family to go to college, she was proud to say that.
Marlyn moved far away from her family to be a graduate student at Michigan State University in East Lansing Michigan.
She worked in young Dr Steve Heidemann’s lab. She really liked working with Steve, and Steve valued her work there.
At lunch time, she went swimming at the university indoor pool.
When people asked what work she did in the lab, she said she worked with immobilized enzymes, which few people knew what that meant.
She graduated with a Masters degree in cell biology. She was co-author on patents with Steve Heidemann.
She married and moved to the Chicago area at the end of 1983. Honeymooned in Jamaica. They stayed at a private resort, off-limits to the public and people who were trying to sell souvenirs. But one day when they were on the beach, some guy from far out in the ocean came up to us and tried to sell us souvenir gourds ! He was quickly escorted off the property.
She worked in a lab in a doctor’s office, as a teacher at College of DuPage, and then as a chemist, biologist, and mostly as an engineer in a mostly male environment at UOP for 30+ years. Her name is listed on many patents at UOP. Still a swimmer, she went swimming early in the morning at the YMCA in LaGrange for many years. She enjoyed going to the UOP Road School parties, held for UOP employees who would go to work at a remote location for an extended period of time. She was a experienced valuable employee that many of her colleagues went to her for help. She retired from UOP in 2018.
Marlyn knew what she wanted, and she did what it took to get it. She was decisive and didn’t need anyone’s permission to do what she wanted to do. She wanted to go to college, get a degree, get a good job, get married, buy a house, and have a baby. She did all those things.
She insisted that they go on a summer vacation every year. And they did, and went to many places across the US and Canada, including and not in chronological order: an organized group week long rafting trip down the Colorado River, sleeping outdoors, and climbing out of the Grand Canyon at the end.
Yosemite National Park, Napa Valley, and San Francisco. Nova Scotia and the Fortress of Louisbourg. Bar Harbor Maine and Acadia National Park.
Many places in New Mexico. Washington DC, Alexandria, Mt Vernon, and Williamsburgh Virginia, and Charleston South Carolina. Portland Oregon, Mt St Helens where the volcano erupted years before and was still barren when they were there, Seattle, Fort Townsend, Victoria and Vancouver British Columbia. The Smokey Mountains. St Augustine, Kennedy Space Center, beaches, and Disney World in Florida. Many places in Michigan like Ann Arbor for the annual Art Fairs and Three Oaks where they rode in the Apple Cider Century bike ride more than once and camped outside. Myrtle Beach South Carolina. Newport Rhode Island. Many places in Massachusetts including historic Boston. Her grandfather bought some land and built a summer home in the Berkshire Mountains where Marlyn and her family went to many times in the summer. Lake Tahoe Nevada. Many places in Illinois including Starved Rock State Park, and many places for bike tours. Yellowstone National Park. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Valley Forge, and Hershey Pennsylvania. New Orleans and Memphis Tennessee.
She was a good daughter, sister, wife, mother, student, scientist, employee, neighbor, and friend. She was loving, kind, and pleasant to be with. She was self-supporting, self reliant, and strong. She liked socializing, decorating their home, gardening, cooking, and her cats. Her house was nicely furnished, decorated, organized, and clean.
She worked hard her whole life, including a paper route as a girl.
Marlyn deserved to enjoy her time in retirement. She deserved to be happy, and do whatever she wanted to do. She left our world way too soon.
She didn’t get a chance to enjoy her retirement life with the people who mattered to her.
She was a bright star in the universe, and now that star is gone.
God needed another angel, and took our Marlyn.
Her health declined in her last few years. Even a strong Marlyn could not overcome these challenges.
She died without the many people she loved, who loved her, who she cared about, and who cared about her, to be at her side.
Family distance, suddenness of her death, and the Covid virus all played a part.
Marlyn leaves her son Kevin Thomas Silver born in 1993 and her ex husband Joel Silver of Downers Grove IL, her family in Agawam Mass : sister Sandy Drew and family, her brother Bill Hamborg; and many nieces and nephews.
She will be missed by all. Rest in peace Marlyn.
Donations made be given to the charity of your choice in Marlyn’s name.
A memorial service will be held at a future date.
Deeply sorry indeed to learn of Marlyn’s passing. I’m particularly saddened that she died without her loved ones. She deserved better. She was wonderful, cheerful, and highly productive to work with. Her help was crucial to get a research program underway at Michigan State, although I was hired primarily to teach. Together, we published four high profile papers between 1981 and 1985. I have many warm memories of our time together in the lab. May she rest in peace and her friends and relatives take comfort in her contributions to their lives.
Marlyn and I worked in the same group for several years back in 1990s. At the time she was in charge of developing a new product, which expanded our technology portfolio and has been contributing to the bottom line throughout the years. I enjoyed and was benefited a great deal from collaboration with her over that stretch of times. Marlyn had an independent mind. She was a straight shooter, dedicated and hard working. We had dinner in December of 2018 and talked/laughed about the good old days as if times stand still. She will be missed.
Marlyn and I didn’t work together on the same projects, but she was always helpful to me and folks like me who often find themselves in the catalyst labs, looking for samples, looking for our team-mates, looking for instructions. Conversations with Marlyn were always pleasant and helpful. In a holistic sense, we did work on the same project – Project UOP. I am thankful to have worked with Marlyn and for her ready help. Now in moving on I know she has found that perfect joy and peace that we all long for here on earth.
I remember when Marlyn started at UOP. I worked in “bugs” at the time which was what we called our enzyme catalyst area, she was always a pleasure and had a great laugh. She will be missed deeply and she was greatly appreciated.
Marlyn was an integral part of the success of our group and it’s many accomplishments over decades. She was the “go to person” for basically anything you would need; samples, raw materials, advise, etc. She was a dear soul and made everyone better that she came in contact with. We are all indebted to her. I hope to see her on the other side. May she rest in peace.
I found out about Marlyn’s passing from a friend at UOP and was shocked.
We haven’t talked in quite a while but always wished her the very best in life.
Marlyn was a warm, kind, loving and focused person who dedicated her life to her son Kevin.
Wishing comfort and love to her family and friends.
May she rest in pease.
I enjoyed working with Marlyn at Riverside. She always had good ideas to contribute for the projects we worked on together. Just nice conversations in general, a truly good person. We still have the children’s book she gave us when our first daughter was born (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie). It makes me sad that she didn’t get to enjoy the long retirement she deserved.
Marlyn made many large contributions to UOP-Honeywell research and technology during her 33 years at the company and made many personal contributions to better work-lives for the people she worked with and had influence. She was out-spoken for giving proper credit to the people with whom she worked and making the company a better place. She was very loyal to people, projects, and groups and always talked about her son and her love for family. Thank you again, Marlyn, for all you have given!
I just learned today of Marlyn’s death. I am shocked and saddened at her passing. She was a warm, kind, and funny woman who was incredibly intelligent in both the hard sciences and the arts. Due to illness of my own, I have been disconnected from nearly everyone for many months. Prayers to the family and other friends of this unique lady. She earned every good thing that she had in her life. Rest in peace, my good friend. Love, Colleen
Marilyn will be missed. Condolences and prayers to Marilyn’s extended family and friends.
Upon further reflection, I wanted to share that many of my friends work in health care. Due to COVID restrictions, they highly honor and respect their own role as the one at the bedside at the crucial time. Marlyn had been receiving good around the clock care for months. I hope that this brings her loved ones some solace.
Also, I know that she donated to the National Wildlife Foundation, and that they do have an online website for Memorial donations. Marlyn also had many cats during her lifetime, and went above and beyond to care for their needs.
Condolences to all of the people that she loved, near and far. Colleen Lindberg
Marlyn made the world a better place.
Trees make the world a better place.
200 tree seedlings have been purchased and will be planted in honor and memory of Marlyn.
As Marlyn’s roommate for two years (1978-1980) during grad school at Michigan State, I have so many fond memories of her. We lost touch after she married and I married and got busy with our lives. I am deeply saddened to hear of her passing. She was a very determined, energetic, and funny person who I will always remember. My deepest sympathy to her family, friends, and all that knew her.