Marilyn Ann Rieti

July 12, 1934 – February 16, 2026

Marilyn Ann Rieti
July 12, 1934 – February 16, 2025
Chicago, Illinois • Scottsdale, Arizona
Marilyn Ann Rieti, 91, of Scottsdale, Arizona, passed away on February 16, 2025. She possessed beauty, grace, and kindness, with a unique talent for making others feel valued. Her loved ones will forever cherish the warmth and light she brought into their lives.
Marilyn, born in Chicago, Illinois in 1934, was raised by her Swede-Finn parents, Ingrid and Ben. They cultivated a strong sense of community and belonging for their family, including a wide circle of cherished friends they affectionately called aunts and uncles. Her lifelong strong work ethic began early with caring for her younger cousin and working at a Chicago bakery with her childhood friends. An FBI transcriptionist was her first job, setting her on a long and committed administrative career. She worked in various sectors, including mortgage titles and industrials, before her final official role with the California school system. Her post-retirement venture selling Mary Kay cosmetics brought her joy and opportunities to connect with her community.
A woman with deep faith, Marilyn spent a considerable amount of time volunteering at her church, singing in the choir, and offering her kind spirit to respected institutions like the Ronald Reagan Library and the Thousand Oaks Performing Arts Center. Music was central to her joy; if a tune was present, her foot would start to move, and sometimes one could even catch her dancing. Marilyn’s deep devotion to her husband Ray was the foundation upon which they built a life rich with love and family. Cyndi and Jeffrey’s cherished mother, and Kali’s beloved grandmother, Momou, was deeply loved by her family. Her life included a beloved tradition of a girls’ trip to Hawaii with Cyndi and Kali every two years, a tradition that lasted over 20 years. Marilyn discovered the Aloha spirit in Hawaii, a spirit that strongly connected with her own, and she truly lived it by being generous, joyful, and prioritizing others.

After three decades in California, Marilyn began anew in 2024 by moving to Scottsdale, Arizona. As she settled into her new residence and discovered enjoyable activities in her new surroundings, her social life expanded. She found pleasure in fitness classes, maintained her daily treadmill routine, and looked forward to weekly music performances. No matter what life brought her, Marilyn never failed to stay close to those she loved. She was unfailingly grateful, always finding words of thanks for even the smallest kindness shown to her. She always put others before herself, and she never lost her warmth or her will to reach out with love.

Throughout her life, Marilyn shared her home and heart with her beloved Siamese cats, Heather, Sabrina, and Monica, each of them a comforting companion. She leaves behind her daughter Cyndi Recker, husband Kevin, granddaughter Kali, and son Jeffrey Stenfors along with his wife Marimi. Remembered with great love by her cousins Colette and Tom Corcoran, Bo Linde and family, Denice and Matti, and the Stenfors family, Lasse and Marianne Wikman, Lars-Micael Wikman and family in both the United States and Finland. She will be missed by her extended Recker family.  Her beloved husband, Ray Rieti, passed away before her. Marilyn will be laid to rest next to Ray at a graveside ceremony in Michigan on Friday, September 4, 2026. More details will be passed along to her circle of family and friends throughout the coming months.

In Lieu of Flowers
In honor of Marilyn’s lifelong love of animals, the family kindly asks that donations be made in her memory to the Arizona Animal Welfare League, a 501(c)(3) no-kill shelter. Tax ID: 23-7149453. Donations may be made at aawl.org.
“Love one another deeply from the heart.”