Marilyn Pearlman died peacefully in her sleep Nov. 6, 2024.
Marilyn was a force of nature filled with leadership skills, charisma, charm, humor, mischief, intelligence and generosity. She loved life, people, art, animals and beauty. Marilyn was a champion for many women and a strong voice for equality for all.
Born to Anne and Arthur Katz, Marilyn started her beautiful life in Brooklyn, New York. She described her childhood as colorful and her family as one that modeled generosity and hard work. Her parents were known for rolling out the bed and rolling in the piano to create wonderful lively dance parties for Marilyn, her sister Carol Katz and her friends. She was fortunate to ride horses and have a dog companion at an early age which enhanced her understanding of the connection between humans and animals.
Marilyn was outspoken and found her voice at a young age. Joel Pearlman, her first husband (and father to her children) noted that he fell in love with her as she stood on a soapbox at age 14. As many can attest, she did not easily take no for an answer. Fortunately, the beneficiaries of her tenacity in her adult life were the many women whose careers she championed and the myriad charities and causes in which she participated.
Marilyn married her friend and love, Denis Malley, Feb. 14, 1990. Together they lived a life of dedication, service, travel, adventure and laughter. They had a wonderful social life in which they entertained friends and family frequently and appreciated the arts, music, theater and delicious food.
A modern Auntie Mame, Marilyn owned the room! Every person in her purview was a friend and she easily dazzled them into joining her causes with humor and finesse. She befriended so many people and she helped so many more.
In her early adult years, she spent many waking moments painting with oil paints, reading, learning art and its history, enjoying the wonders of life and using her imagination. She loved showing off her three children Laura, Shari and Eric Pearlman. The family participated in many arts and crafts projects, frequented museums and traveled to many national parks on meaningful road trips. Marilyn did see the U.S.A. in her Chevrolet and enjoyed every minute!
Her fascination with esthetics, stories and beauty led her to work in antiques. The family enjoyed the bounties of her career and learned to appreciate art and antiquities, too.
Marilyn began volunteering early in her life, marching for civil rights and women’s rights and bravely attending protests and marches. She raised money for many charities, including United Cerebral Palsy. She was also invested in community connections. As an active Hadassah member she worked her way up to national president – no small feat. Marilyn role-modeled what it means for women to use their power. She helped many find their independent voices and use their abilities to create, maintain and succeed in career paths.
In the late 1960s, she and her family moved to Somerville. Since local and national politics always interested her, Marilyn volunteered her time on many campaigns. She became a Somerville Town Council member and fire commissioner.
In the 1970s, Marilyn worked at Baker & Taylor book distributor and became a personnel manager. Many of her kids’ friends were recruited by Marilyn for part-time and summer jobs, helping them learn pride in their work and find their work values and ethics.
In 1980, Marilyn began her work at J.M. Huber Corporation. There she broke the glass ceiling by working her way from facilities management to vice president of facilities and real estate. Those were amazing times for her as she traveled to company plants and buildings all over the U.S. She was active in the workplace and her professional community. She was even on the cover of Architectural Design as she embraced LEED standards. Marilyn helped design J.M. Huber’s environmentally advanced corporate headquarters with an aesthetically pleasing look, too.
Marilyn always promoted from within and appreciated her colleagues’ and friends’ character, work performance and wit. When she retired from J.M. Huber in 1995, Marilyn worked as a consultant and assisted on many projects, especially for ADESA. Marilyn was active in professional associations such as BOMMA and IFMA, staying current in her field.
When Marilyn and Denis moved to Little Silver, she continued volunteering her time. Since 2013, she gave many years of service to HABcore and to New Jersey Repertory Company since 2018. She also volunteered with the Affordable Housing Alliance of Monmouth County. She generously and consistently donated money to many other charities, as well. She continued to be a relevant friend, mentor and cheerleader with wisdom and humor until the end of her life.
Marilyn lived well, laughed a lot, gave much and left a lasting impression. On the weekend of her death, all the flags in Somerville flew at half-mast in her honor.
Marilyn was predeceased by her husband Denis Malley. She leaves behind her daughter Laura Pearlman and her partner Robert Sadin; her daughter Shari R. Pearlman; her son Eric S. Pearlman and daughter-in-law Victoria Pearlman; her grandchildren, Steven Sadin and his wife Colleen Sadin, William Vasiladiotis, India Pearlman, and Elias Pearlman; two step-grandchildren, Peter J. Gregory and Aidan C. Murphy; and her many friends and family members.
She was well-loved and admired and is already missed.
In lieu of flowers please make a donation in Marilyn’s name to the New Jersey Repertory Company at njrep.org or HABcore at habcore.org.
The article originally appeared in the November 21 – 28, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
