Marilyn Earl (Zobell)

Marilyn Marie Earl Zobell, treasured mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, daughter and friend, died February 6, 2025. She was 77 years old.

Marilyn was born May 30, 1947, in Las Vegas, the second of four children of Harold Leavitt Earl and Hortense Clinger Earl. Her Las Vegas roots ran deep; her great-grandfather was one of the founding residents of Southern Nevada and her grandfather was the first Latter-day Saint Bishop in Las Vegas. Outside of her years studying at Brigham Young University (BYU), she never lived anywhere but Las Vegas. Nevada was her home.

Marilyn graduated from Las Vegas High School in 1965 before studying Early Childhood Development at BYU, graduating in 1973. While that degree aided her in a lengthy career working as a social worker for Nevada State Welfare, her primary hope was that her major would aid her as a mother one day. But motherhood was still several years away for her.

In 1978, she married Charles Zobell, a Provo, UT resident who had moved to Las Vegas to work as a journalist. They met at activities for single adults sponsored by their church. As she awaited motherhood, she was a deeply caring aunt, attending to nieces and nephews as often as she could. In 1985 and in 1987, Marilyn achieved her dream of motherhood when she adopted her two children, David (Rachel) and Rebecca Zobell. Marilyn often told the story of receiving a promotion the same day she received news of a child waiting for her. She quit the job that day. She was determined to give her full attention to parenting.

Marilyn's faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was profoundly impactful. In Church settings, she served as a teacher for children, youth and women, and loved planning activities. But where she served the longest was a compassionate service coordinator, helping take care of the needs of families going through life-changing events like births and deaths. Being on call to arrange for people in such huge situations kept her close to her community.

She was a stay-at-home mother and found even more joy in becoming a grandmother to her three grandchildren. She loved sewing and was on call for costumes from not only her children but their schools as well for productions. She was a huge advocate for the performing arts, enjoyed cooking, making friends and deepening her personal religious faith. But it was her love for her husband, children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces and nephews that defined her. They were her greatest cause.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband, Charles, in 2024. She is survived by her two children, three grandchildren, and two of her siblings (Dorothy and Gregory.)

A viewing is scheduled for 11:30AM on February 21, 2025, followed by a funeral service at 1PM, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 1836 S Monte Cristo Way in Las Vegas. Marilyn will be buried at Davis Funeral Home and Memorial Park at 6200 S. Eastern.