Marilyn Claire Sullivan Hostetler of Portsmouth, Rhode Island passed away on October 30 after a brief illness, surrounded by family. She was 69 years old. She was the beloved wife of her high school sweetheart, Dean Hostetler, and the cherished mother of Courtney Hostetler, Devon Hostetler, and Caitlin Kahle.
Marilyn was born in Newport, Rhode Island, to the late Robert and Winifred Sullivan. She was the third of four children, part of a family whose love for life and one another helped shape Marilyn and the many people whose lives she touched.
An intelligent and sharp-witted woman, Marilyn found joy in movement, in music, in reading, and in adventures big and small. A graduate of Rhode Island College, she taught for forty years, including thirty years as a music teacher at Jamestown Schools until her retirement in 2020. Her lively teaching helped thousands of students experience the magic and importance of the arts. She was named the first Teacher of the Year for Jamestown Schools in 2011. She loved soccer, coached many youth teams, and was instrumental in founding Portsmouth’s girls’ recreational program.
Marilyn threw herself into her work, her family, and her home with boundless energy and infectious enthusiasm. She and Dean built an unbreakable marriage of mutual adoration, devotion, and fun. She was a powerful advocate for her children and later her grandchildren, and she loved them fiercely in a way they will feel forever. She reveled in the antics of the mischievous dogs she raised. She made her home into a sanctuary that was both peaceful and joyful.
Marilyn was the much-loved godmother to the late Doriane Wark and sister-in-law to the late Terry Murphy. Besides her husband of 44 years and her children, Marilyn is survived by her siblings, Michael Sullivan and his wife Barbara, Peggy Wark and her husband Tom, and Marie (Reeva) Murphy; her sons-in-law Matthew Matera and Justin Kahle; her grandchildren Phineas Hostetler, Kaia Kahle, Robert Hostetler, Alexander Hostetler, Luana Kahle, Gilbert Hostetler, and Elowyn Kahle; her nieces and nephews Bridget Sitkoff, Nathan Sullivan, Cornelius Murphy, Patrick Wark, Laura Murphy, Chris Lobmeyr von Hohenleiten and Eric Lobmeyr von Hohenleiten, and all the other members of her large, loving extended family.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend calling hours on Tuesday, November 5, from 4-7 pm at Connors Funeral Home, 55 West Main Road, Portsmouth, RI. Her Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, November 6, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Barnabas Church, 1697 E Main Road, Portsmouth, RI.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Marilyn Hostetler’s name to Community Music Works. https://communitymusicworks.org
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