Marilyn F Mason

Mankato Mortuary
388-2202

Marilyn Florence Mason, age 81, of Mankato, died Thursday, July 28, 2011, at Sunrise Cottage in Mankato.

Mass of Christian Burial will be on Saturday, July 30, at noon at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Mankato with Fr. Mariano Varela, IVE, as celebrant. Visitation is Saturday from 10 to noon at the church. Burial will be at Ft. Snelling on Monday, August 1. Arrangements are with Mankato Mortuary.

Marilyn was born on March 2, 1930, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Milton and Marion (Dailey) Mason. She was part of a group of 12 girls who called themselves "The Gang" while attending Mankato High School, where she participated in choir, debate, acting, and extemporaneous speaking and was active in the National Forensic League and Camp Fire Girls. During her senior year, she won the State High School Debate competition as part of the first all-girl championship team.
Marilyn graduated from Macalester College in three years with a degree in education. While there she met Harry Walchuk and they married in 1951. They had six children: John, Peter, Christopher, Jennifer, Thomas, and Paul. Harry died in 1966. Marilyn remarried and had another child, Melissa Warrington.

Marilyn received her master's degree in psychology from the University of Texas-Austin and her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Florida. She was the principal at Andersen D School in Minneapolis, developing a program for autistic children.

Marilyn was a pioneer in talk radio, starting in Mankato in the 1950s with "Magic Living" and in the 1980s as a radio psychologist with shows on KSTP in Minneapolis and WKIS in Orlando. She continued to practice psychology in several businesses and as a private counselor late into her 70s. She enjoyed singing, dancing, playing the piano, in-line skating, reading, and spending time at the family lake cabin.

Survivors include her children, John (Lissa) Walchuk of Carmel by the Sea, California; Peter (Debe) Walchuk of Clearbrook, Minnesota; Christopher (Mary) Walchuk of Mankato, Minnesota; Jennifer (Shane) McInnis of Rockport, Texas; Thomas (Annie) Walchuk of Duluth, Minnesota; Paul (Patsi) Walchuk of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Melissa (Sean) Warrington of Red Lodge, Montana; her grandchildren, Luke (Melissa), Zach, Mark, and Julia Walchuk, Timothy (Nemo) and Natasha Teal, Emma McInnis, Elina and Nadia Walchuk, Mary and Harry Walchuk, and Phoenix Mason; her brothers, Jim (Marcia) Mason and Don (Elaine) Mason; her sister, Jean Caswell; her sister-in-law, Vivian Mason; her aunt, Barbara (Dailey) Ruud; her uncle, Monte (Betty) Mason; and many cousins and nieces and nephews.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents, Milton and Marion Mason; her husband, Harry Walchuk; her brother, Jack Mason; her brother-in-law, Phillip Caswell; and her uncle, Millard Ruud.

Memorials may be made in her name to Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Mankato.