Marilyn Joyce Wilcox Salsman

Marilyn Joyce (Wilcox) Salsman, 86, of Lexington, KY, died peacefully on Monday, October 23, 2023. Marilyn was known for her unfailing kindness, interpersonal warmth, and her abiding faith. She will be greatly missed by her cherished family and friends.

Marilyn was born on January 23, 1937, the daughter of George Wilcox, a World War II US Navy veteran, and Ruby Close Wilcox, a spunky and resourceful domestic engineer. Marilyn was the elder of their two children and was curious, gregarious, and affable as a youth. She was fond of her younger brother, Donald “Don”, though they were equal parts congenial playmates and sibling rivals while growing up. She attended Buffalo High School in Buffalo, KY, and graduated in 1955 before working at the Larue County ASCS office (part of the Agricultural Department) in Hodgenville, KY.

She married her high school sweetheart, Billy Joe Salsman in 1962 during a private ceremony in Annapolis, MD. They built their lives together in Hodgenville, KY, while Billy was employed as a park ranger at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park. During that time, they had three sons together, Steven, David, and John Mark. She was a devoted wife and mother and was active in her local church community, finding a resolute meaning and purpose through her Christian faith as well as an outlet for her charitable interests and her passion for supporting others through prayer. After her sons grew older and the family moved to Campbellsville, KY, she began serving as a Teacher’s Aide for the Campbellsville Independent School District. The importance of education was a core value to her and she volunteered as a math and reading tutor to support students who needed additional assistance.

In her leisure time, Marilyn loved cooking and baking for others, reading inspirational short stories, talking with friends, and enjoying movies with family. Her favorite role in her later years, however, was undoubtedly as a grandparent. She had 10 grandchildren, and she would quickly launch into a summary of all their various talents, interests, or recent accomplishments when an unassuming friend or acquaintance would ask about one or more of them. She also had a savant-like ability to remember all of their birthdates and those of their parent’s and parent’s spouses for good measure. The mere act of watching her recite the list was highly entertaining. She was deeply and passionately proud of each of her grandchildren and absolutely treasured her time with them.

Throughout her life, Marilyn had a natural warmth that allowed her to easily engage in conversations with friends and strangers alike. She had an innate ability to put others at ease and within a few minutes of meeting, it would seem that she and her guest(s) were simply old friends catching up. She could be quite uninhibited while talking and would speak freely without thinking through the potential implications of her over-sharing. This would frequently result in embarrassing and comical, albeit disarming, moments for all involved! She was unfailingly kind, compassionate, and selfless. During her mid-60s while navigating the unexpected death of her husband, caring for her ailing mother, and managing her own breast cancer diagnosis, she was able to balance a healthy focus on her own care needs while maintaining a constant outward care for those loved ones in her family. In her later years, even as her mind began to fail her, she would continue to end phone conversations with an “I love you” and “Is there anything I can do for you?” In short, Marilyn was a “salt of the earth” matriarch to the Salsman family and her memory and loving-kindness will endure.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband, Billy Salsman, and her brother, Don Wilcox. She is survived by sister-in-law, Penny Wilcox of Asheville, NC, and three sons: Steven (Brenda) of Millersville, MD, and their children Josh (Aleah) of Hampton, VA, Rachel (David) of Redding, CA, and Caleb of Millersville, MD; David (Jenni) of Nicholasville, KY, and their five children; and John Mark (Stephanie) of Winston Salem, NC, and their children William and Elyse “EJ” also of Winston Salem, NC. She is survived by several other cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends, too numerous to mention.

Visitation will be open to the public and held at the Parrott & Ramsey Funeral Home of Campbellsville, KY on Sunday, October 29th from 2p to 5p. The celebration of life service will be held at First Methodist Church of Campbellsville, KY, on Monday, October 30th at 11a. In lieu of flowers, donations to the BibleProject, Kentucky CancerLink, or the National Parks Conservation Association in her memory would be appreciated.