Marilyn Meldahl

Oct. 11, 1946 - Nov. 9, 2022

KENOSHA - Marilyn Meldahl was a lifelong resident of Kenosha and spent 30 years as a public servant dedicated to the safety of the county's residents. She passed on the night of November 9, 2022, at the age of 76, after a long battle with multiple physical ailments.

Born on October 11, 1946 to Richard Merrill and Mary (Simmons) Rhey, she grew up in a large family with an older brother and four younger sisters. She attended St. Mary's and St. Joseph's Schools and had many fond memories of times spent with her friends as a young woman in the 1960s.

Inspired by John F. Kennedy and her father's politics, she was a proud Democrat her entire adult life and was drawn to work where she could have a hand in providing for the public welfare. In 1976, she was hired by the Kenosha Fire Department as one of the first civilian Emergency Dispatchers in the county. When all dispatching was later consolidated under Kenosha Joint Services, she went on to become a Trainer and Supervisor, and in these roles was central to helping bring 911 services to the area in the early 1990s.

She struggled with a number of serious health issues in her later years, but all who knew her described her as a fighter who tried to overcome everything that was thrown at her, with the support of her life partner Raymond E. Nelson, Sr. (who preceded her in death), her family, and the wonderful medical providers who cared for her. In particular, the family would like to thank the UW Health Transplant Clinic in Madison, the staff of the Cancer Center at Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital, and the nurses at Froedtert Pleasant Prairie who made her final days as comfortable as possible. Special gratitude is extended to the family of her liver donor, whose concern for others enabled Marilyn to enjoy an additional seven years of life as a transplant recipient.

She is survived by four sisters; and her only son, Aaron Meldahl, who currently resides in Japan. According to her wishes, there will be no funeral service. In lieu of flowers, well-wishers are asked to consider making a small donation to the American Liver Foundation or the American Breast Cancer Foundation.