Marilyn Ione Preus died peacefully at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital, Nova Scotia on September 7, 2025. She had been suffering from a degenerative neurological disease and acute neuropathic pain.

Marilyn was born on October 20, 1944, in Edmonton, Alberta, the fourth of five children born to Ione Preus (née Hunting) and Reidar Preus. Her father, Reidar, was previously married in 1928. That marriage resulted in the birth of Esmond Preus, later to become Marilyn's oldest brother.

Marilyn was raised in a loving and busy home. All her childhood friends and those of her other siblings were welcome in the house at any time. Her family loved to camp and water-ski from their small fishing boat and Marilyn was an exuberant swimmer and skier. Marilyn's love for design in fabric started early in life; she could often be found at her mom's old Singer sewing machine creating her own dresses and jackets and helping the other kids with needed repairs.

She was married to F. Clarke Fraser for 41 years; he died in 2014. Marilyn earned her undergraduate degree in Biology at ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­the University of Alberta in 1967, an MSc at McGill University in 1971, and her PhD in human genetics at McGill in 1975. She was a research scientist in clinical genetics at McGill and the Montreal Children's Hospital Research Institute before moving with Clarke in 1982 to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, to teach at Memorial University and set up a new clinical genetics service. Marilyn's research brought objectivity into diagnostic dysmorphology by her seminal use of numerical taxonomy in the classification of syndromes, and led to many papers on diagnostic indices and numerical classification of syndromes (e.g. Williams and Noonan's syndromes, Down syndrome, and Turner syndrome).

Returning with Clarke to Montreal in 1985, Marilyn studied civil and common law at McGill University and qualified for the Quebec and Nova Scotia Bars. Under contract to the Law Reform Commission of Nova Scotia, she was primary author of the Final Report on Reform of the Laws Dealing with Adult Guardianship and Personal Healthcare Directives (1995) and co-authored the Final Report on The Legal Status of The Child Born Outside Marriage in Nova Scotia (1995).

In the late 90's Marilyn took art courses at the Saidye Bronfman Centre in Montreal and began spending more time at husband Clarke's ancestral home in Bear River, Nova Scotia. The isolation and beauty of Bear River proved alluring, and in 1999 she retired from her work as scientist and lawyer, moved to Bear River and designed her first quilt. Two years later she showed eight pieces at ARTSPLACE in Annapolis Royal. Her show "Silk Journey" captivated its audience by veering from the common perception of quilts into the bold. Since then, she experimented with all sorts of textiles and treatments (e.g., silk including some that was dyed or over-dyed to achieve the exact colour she wanted, cotton lace, batting, fabric paint, glass beads, metallic jewellery embellishments, embroidery cotton, silk and nylon thread, yarn, and wax) that combined her love of silk with her intense colour sense to create stitched, often playful works of art "that dance".  Her initial success led to an exhibition at the Mary E. Black Gallery in Halifax (2006) and from there her reputation spread; her works hang in homes and businesses across Canada, the US, and the UK. Marilyn's final exhibition of quilts and wall hangings, " A Silk Journey Through Colour, Texture, and Fibre " was held at the Bear River Artworks Gallery last November.

Marilyn was a member of the Annapolis Valley Quilt Guild, a juried member of the Nova Scotia Designer Craft Council, and a founding member of the Society of Fibre Artists of the Annapolis River (SOFAAR).

Another of Marilyn's passions was the restoration and remodelling of the Clarke ancestral home in Bear River. While respecting its old-world persona, she gave it a modern utility and colour pastiche. Her collected art works – mostly modern – both warm and surprise a room; her careful restoration of old furniture brought life to the history of their home. Marilyn's other talents: she loved to bake, cook gourmet meals and entertain; she grew beautiful flower gardens; and she designed and sewed her own and Clarke's clothing. She and Clarke were deeply in love, and she cared for him at home at the end of his life.

Marilyn is predeceased by her brother Jim (Gail) and is survived by brothers Esmond, Rudy (Pat), and Dick (Yvette); and sister Karen (Rae) McFarlen. She is also survived by Clarke's children Norah, Noel (Patricia), Alan, and Scott (Tasha), and their children and grandchildren. Marilyn arranged for a green burial in the Burlington (NS) Community Cemetery and requested no memorial service. The family is grateful for the excellent care Marilyn received at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital. Donations to yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca in memory of Marilyn are welcome.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Middleton Funeral Home, 398 Main Street, toll free 1-855-825-3448. Online guest book may be signed by visiting: www.middletonfuneralhome.com