Marilee Heather Spanjian, wife to Richard, mother to Megan, Brooke & Sam, and grandmother
to Henry, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 30th. She was diagnosed with stage
4 breast cancer in July of 2021. In her final weeks, she was surrounded by the love of her
husband, her children and their spouses in her new home on the North Shore of Massachusetts.

Marilee will be laid to rest with her mom who she lost to breast cancer as a teenager, off the
coast of San Diego in a private ceremony at sea.

Born in 1959 to Darren and Ann Yalian she lived in San Diego with her parents, older brother
Deran, and an ever-revolving door of farm and house animals. An avid reader and writer
growing up, she graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Southern
California, Fight On! Life for Marilee had many twists and turns and she ended up on the east
coast, in beautiful Marblehead, Massachusetts with the love of her life, Richard, and their three
young kids – Megan, Brooke and Sam. She lived for her children, a devoted mother who
supported and championed them. They carry on her legacy, and will remember her as spirited,
generous and larger than life.

As a fearless leader for her family, she was always up for a challenge. For 10 years
(2012-2022), she and her husband, Richard, transformed The Inn at Weathersfield in
Perkinsville, Vermont into a picturesque escape for families to make memories over delicious
farm-to-table food. Prior to that, people were lucky enough to know Marilee through her other
careers as a freelance journalist at The Tennessean, custom home builder and cooking class
host, all of which were inspired by her love of people and their stories.

For the last 14 months she entered a new job as “Mimi” – she was the greatest grandmother to
Henry, playing and caring for him even when she was suffering her own sickness. He will always
know how much Mimi loved him.

She and Richard shared a beautiful, vibrant life together and their love story was one for the
ages. They demonstrated their love to each other everyday. Dancing or kissing in the kitchen,
laughing at their favorite show, or going on long beach walks accompanied by one of their
beloved dogs.

The family will continue to walk in her footsteps, carrying her memory with them every day.

To honor Marilee, we ask that you support by donating in her memory to METAvivor, a non-profit
that funds vital research to help improve the longevity and quality of life for Metastatic Breast Cancer
(Stage 4) patients. (www.metavivor.org)