Marilyn Elaine Carney

Marilyn Elaine Carney passed away May 12, 2026 after a courageous battle with metastasized cancer. Marilyn was born to Robert (Bob) and Elaine Carney in Sparta, Wisconsin on April 21, 1948. She graduated from Tomah High School in 1966, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse in 1970 and then attended the University of Arizona to pursue a degree in animal husbandry. While pursuing her Arizona degree, she took a “temporary” job as a catering manager with Doubletree Inns in 1974. That “temporary” job lasted until 1984, when she became a Quality Control Specialist with Hughes Aircraft Company. When Raytheon bought Hughes in 1997, Marilyn continued with Raytheon and remained there until her retirement in 2013. Raytheon recognized her as the national Employee of the Year in 2006, a tremendous honor as the Company has 180,00 employees.

In addition to her career, Marilyn had four other passions-family, animals, the climate and travel. When her parents retired in 1985, they began spending winters with her and her partner Richard Wilson. They graciously hosted Bob and Elaine and, after Bob’s passing, just Elaine for 4 months every winter until Elaine’s death in 2011. Marilyn was a devoted auntie to her nieces and nephews and in later years her great-nephews. Her Christmas and August trips to Wisconsin consisted of non-stop family get togethers, including the mandatory Kling family reunion and “Lacrosse Roommates” get together in August. She was jokingly referred to as the “western division director of operations” for her work in orchestrating the Wisconsin get togethers from her home in Tucson.

Marilyn was a devoted “tree hugger” and “greenie” long before the terms were popularized. She and Richard tried in every conceivable way to minimize their carbon footprint. They avoided unnecessary use of energy by brewing coffee in a special pot that used the sun for energy, hand mixing all baked items, hang drying their clothes outside and reusing the clothes washer water to water the desert plants, to name just a few.

Her concern for the environment was directly related to her concern for animals. Her Tucson home backed up to a state nature preserve. Over time the nature preserve, and the animals in it, became surrounded by additional housing developments. The trapped animals had insufficient water and food to survive in their reduced environment. For forty years she and Richard cared for the desperate javalinas, coyotes, birds and the occasional bobcat, providing them with necessary food and water. She volunteered for many years at the local pig sanctuary and the humane society. She and Richard adopted more than fifteen homeless dogs over the years and fostered almost that many. They adopted and fostered countless cats, many of which were feral. Her checkbook was also always open for animal welfare groups, donating to wildlife funds as well as pet shelters.

Humans were equal beneficiaries of her concern. She volunteered for many years with the Christmas in April Project at Hughes and Raytheon, which built new homes or made necessary repairs to existing homes for needy individuals. She adopted a family every Christmas, providing whatever was necessary to ensure the family had a tree, presents and a Christmas meal. She was also very active in supporting, with her time and money, political candidates who shared her concern for the environment and human and animal welfare.

Her final passion, travel, was often combined with her other loves. For example, her trips to Hawaii every year always involved snorkeling and whale watching and usually included friends and family. In addition, friends and family joined her on her annual trips to Laughlin, Nevada and frequent trips to the Flamingo in Las Vegas, where “everyone knew her name.” One of her favorite trips was to Germany with Elaine and her Aunt Lorraine where they visited their ancestral homeland.

Marilyn is survived by Richard, her brother Bill Carney and his wife Debbie of Tomah, WI ; her Brother Jim Carney of Baraboo, WI; her sister Barb Mattei of Wisconsin Dells, WI; her brother-in-law Ken Forsythe of Wisconsin Dells, WI; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Carol Forsythe, her niece Danielle Mattei , her nephew Brian Carney, her niece Liz Carney and her dear friend Dick Randall.

The family would like to extend special thanks to her partner of forty years Richard Wilson, who cared for Marilyn during her extended chemotherapy treatments and her final days. The family and Richard invite those who loved her to join them in celebrating her life on June 20, 2026 at 521 Canyon Circle in Wisconsin Dells, WI from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, please honor Marilyn with a donation to the Best Friends Animal Society, the World Wildlife Fund, Habitat for Humanity or a local animal or human welfare group of your choosing.