Marilyn Orbeck

To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.

Marilyn Beth Orbeck (nee Olson)

Marilyn passed away on November 4th, 2026, after a two-year battle with esophageal cancer. She was at
her home in Acworth, Georgia with family by her side.

Born in Worcester, MA on January 9, 1947 to Herbert and Jane Olson, she was the second of three
daughters. In 1957, the family moved to Southern California when Marilyn was 10. She attended
Hawthorne High School (home of the Beach Boys, whom she knew from their garage-band days),
and was an avid surfer. After graduating from high school in 1965, she married briefly and had
one daugher, Kristian. She later married Lynn Orbeck (who adopted Kris), and helped raise his 
two young daughters, Kim and Patricia Orbeck.

Marilyn devoted herself to being a homemaker and mother for the next decade — gardening,
sewing, and cooking, as well as assisting her mother Jane in her rug-making business. She ex-
celled at everything she put her hand to. After moving to Santa Barbara in the 80s, she started a
career in bookkeeping, which she pursued with great success until the end of her life, catering
to a diverse clientele, many of whom were in the home building and decorating business, one of
Marilyn’s passions.

Eventually, she moved back to the Los Angeles area to be near her ailing parents and was instru-
mental in guiding them through the final years of their lives. After their deaths, she moved to
Georgia to be near her daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren.

She is survived by two sisters, Susan Bradford and Joan Olson of Sonoma County CA, her daugh-
ter and son-in-law Kris and Link Panettiere, grandchildren Robert, Rachel, and Daniel Panettiere, 
all living in Georgia, Kim and Patti Orbeck of Southern CA, as well as nieces and great nieces and 
nephews.

Marilyn was a big-hearted, generous person, always on-the-go, outgoing, fun-loving, and witty.
She spoke her mind while never being mean-spirited. She was a beauty inside and out. She was
also an avid fan of the Atlanta Braves and we were so hoping they would win the World Series for
her this year!

We will miss her enormously and wish her peace on this final journey.

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