Marilyn Frances Fleming

Marilyn Frances Mack Fleming, March 9, 1943 – May 5, 2026

Marilyn Frances Mack Fleming passed away from this life peacefully at home in Portland, Oregon at the age of 83.

Mima Marilyn acted justly, loved tenderly, and walked humbly with her God. She devoted her life to the care of her friends, relations, and strangers, a friend, teacher, and mother to many. We remember her for her wisdom and unconditional love.

Marilyn is survived by her daughters Maria (husband John Kelly), Andree Cannon-Fleming (husband Luke), and Shaun McMorrow; her grandchildren Coeli Fleming-Kelly (29) and Ellis Cannon-Fleming (21) her brothers John (Buddy) and Chris Mack, sisters Michelle Swanson and Liane Wheeler, and siblings-in-law Diane, John, and Jeannette, beloved cousins, nephews and nieces, and her husband Patrick’s sister Sharlene and brother Michael. She is also survived by other five-family-community members of her generation (Paul and Janet Olson, Susan Kelly, Anne and Tom Caruso, and Steve Schneider), all the children and grandchildren of the beloved community, and life-long friends Marie and David Langenes. Marilyn is preceded in death by her parents, John and Andree, her husband Patrick, older sister Deanna, niece Kristen and nephew David, and chosen family, Ann Schneider and Bill Langenes.

Marilyn was born on March 9, 1943, in Butte, Montana. She graduated from Girls Central high school in 1961, and Carroll College in 1964 with a B.A. in French and a Chemistry minor. She married Patrick in August 1964. Maria was born in 1965; Andree in 1967. Marilyn and Patrick moved from Helena, Montana to Wallowa, Oregon in 1964 where they taught high school and managed an apartment/motel. They moved to Gladstone, Oregon to continue their careers as high school teachers. One of Marilyn’s most treasured invitations was the call to become a Spanish language teacher in 1975. She earned her M.Ed. from PSU and an additional degree from Reed while on sabbatical to transition from French to Spanish teaching. She attended language schools and graduate programs in Portland, Mexico, Italy, France, and Spain.

Marilyn’s love and skill in teaching and community-building can hardly be overstated. She was noted for her commitment to bringing cultural experiences to her students and her students to cultural experiences. Her classroom was filled with music, movement, and student-made carnival masks, ojos de dios, and piñatas. She organized and chaperoned dozens of student trips to the East coast of the US and all-around Mexico with longtime friends and colleagues Pam Michael and Bill Kemnizter. At St. Andrew Catholic Church, she spent years teaching Spanish and studied liturgy and spirituality. One of her favorite programs was the Mt. Hood summer language intensive ALPS that she co-directed with mentor Dr. Frank Vecchio.

Simultaneously, she co-created and participated in communities through the Big House, NE 16th avenue, St. Andrew small faith groups, five families, and EAS in Mexico. Marilyn and Patrick’s radical hospitality embraced family, friends, and strangers to build the peaceable kindom in a corner of NE Portland through a shared life of multi-hour meals, tutoring, prayer, singing, dancing, and always space at the table and in the house for anyone who needed respite (or growing up). They sheltered community members surviving adjudication, fleeing domestic abuse, moving from life outside on the street; they adopted a twice orphaned son, housed teaching colleagues, and people transitioning from married or religious life into new paths. They hosted sons and daughters of close friends Los Marquina, Los Nacif, Los Pena, Los Lopez, y Los Sanchez. Their own Montana, California, and Midwest nieces and nephews found Portland a place of freedom and exploration as well as expectations for cooking meals and completing other household chores. The five-family community provided an opportunity for deep friendships, celebrating holy days, new life, and providing ritual and acknowledging the grief of the deaths of loved ones.

Through the 70s, 80, 90s and early 00s, St. Andrew Catholic Church received the majority of Marilyn’s volunteer attention, as a lector and choir member during mass, as a CCD instructor, Bible Camp coordinator, Sunday mass ministry schedule-er, Dignity USA advocate, youth minister, pre-marriage prep participant, and counting the weekly collections. During the 90s, she participated with the nascent Spanish-speaking community to increase their visibility and connections to the English-speaking community.

After Patrick’s dementia diagnosis Marilyn delved into the world of caregiving. She ensured that he developed new skills in painting. She spent several years accompanying her husband to art classes at MIM Alzheimer’s Association weekly program, and later Mondays at the Portland Art Museum. Marilyn ensured that Pat’s artwork decorates the families’ homes. Their well-remembered trip to Paris in fall 2013 with daughter Andree motivated all of them for miles of walking to reach museums and art galleries. Through all the years, Marilyn and Patrick participated in the St. Andrew community choir and added the Alzheimer Association and Marie Smith choirs during Patrick’s final decade. Most notably, Marilyn enabled Patrick to live and die peacefully, surrounded by friends and family in their home.

As a life-long learner, Marilyn also became a proficient practitioner and sometimes teacher of Qi gong. Her time in the Chinese Garden, Holladay Park, and the third floor of Lloyd Center became her sacred expression matching her commitment and depth of her Catholic faith. Among the other Qi gong students Marilyn created more beloved friends. In her final years she intentionally integrated her Qi gong, neighborhood, and St. Andrew friends into a lively support system of reimagined community.

The Wake occurred the day of death at 2427 NE 16th avenue. A Marilyn-envisioned vigil service will be held at St. Andrew Catholic Church Thursday, May 14th at 7 pm. Green burial of the aqua-remains at Rose City Cemetery at 5625 NE Fremont will be on Friday, May 15th at 11 am. (We recommend comfortable clothing and shoes.) A funeral service is scheduled later that day at 4 pm at St. Andrew Catholic Church. Dinner reception will be held at St. Andrew Community Center after the funeral (approximately 5:15 pm). All are welcome to attend any or all of the events. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Andrew Nativity School or the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center. Condolences can be sent to the Fleming family at 2427 NE 16th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97212. The family would like to thank the St. Andrew community, Fleming and Mack families, 5-families, Qi gong practitioners, St. Mary’s Academy, and the NE 16th avenue neighborhood (past and present) for their care and support, especially during these last years.