Marilynn A. Wallace

Marilynn A. Wallace

Cedar Rapids

Marilynn A. Wallace, 81, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. Visitation will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service. Funeral service will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 16, at the funeral home with Pastor Sharry Schwab officiating.

Marilynn Alyce Wood Hills Wallace was born March 6, 1941, to Albert and Mary Frances Wood in Fort Madison, Iowa. Both of her parents died within the first three months of her life. She was raised by her paternal grandmother, Virgil Sarbaugh, near Chillicothe, Mo.

After graduating high school, she moved to Burlington, Iowa, where she met and married Richard LeRoy Hills in 1962. They were married for 23 years and had two daughters. They separated in 1984 and divorced in 1985. Marilynn worked in various roles for Iowa Southern Utilities, moving to Centerville, Iowa to take up the role of internal auditor. Her favorite job for Iowa Southern was dispatcher. Through her work with Iowa Southern, she met Bill Wallace, a widower from Burlington with six adult children and one still in high school. They married in November 1985 and lived in Centerville until Bill’s death in 1993. After the loss of Bill—whom she called her soulmate—she and her oldest daughter moved to Cedar Rapids. Marilynn retired from Alliant Energy in 2004. She volunteered for Mercy Hospital and was very active in her church. Her later years were a mix of joys—like the adoption of Suzie, an energetic beagle mix, and a bucket list Alaska cruise—and challenges, including Parkinson’s disease.

She is survived by her daughters, Lynn Hills of Cedar Rapids and Michelle Hills (Joan Benson) of Iowa City; stepdaughter, Mary Wallace of Cedar Rapids; and six additional stepchildren and their families.

Please share a memory of Marilynn at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.