Cheers goes to Marianne Dyon

Marianne Dyon volunteers primarily at the Friends of the Flathead County Animal Shelter, and the Glacier Symphony and Chorale.

Born in Chicago, she spent most of her early life at Momence, a small town near Chicago. She graduated from the Patricia Vance Finishing School, followed by a year modeling clothes, primarily for Marshall Fields. She then accepted employment at Commonwealth Edison as a customer service representative.

She met and married Bill, and although their marriage was not destined to last, they have three children, Jim, Mike, and Margaret. She had visited her brother in Eureka and liked the area, so in 1984 she loaded up the kids and headed for Whitefish. It was a move which no one has ever regretted.

Knowing that the best way to meet people was through volunteering, she volunteered at several places, including the Whitefish Community Center (Home of the Golden Agers,) where she worked in the kitchen and made several lasting friendships. She now serves three days per week as site manager.

Marianne’s life revolves around her family. She has six grandchildren, Gabrielle, Grant, Morgan Rose, William, John and Justin. They all live in this area, and she gets much pleasure and delight from their frequent visits and get-togethers.

She has accumulated about 400 plastic eggs which, at her annual Easter egg hunt practically cover the lawn. When she describes the event one can’t tell whether she or the children enjoy it most.

She attends all the grandchildren’s school activities, but her passion is the photograph albums. For each child and grandchild, she keeps a professional quality photo album depicting the life and activities of that child. The album is, and will be, treasured by the recipients as well as by future generations

Marianne loves Whitefish and its people. She “can’t get over” how so many people volunteer to help others, reciting the many local activities which could not exist without volunteers. She explains that she enjoys volunteering because, “volunteers become like family, they enjoy the association and camaraderie, and are concerned about each other because they truly care.” She states that “I come away feeling like I’ve done something for someone. Bringing joy to others is very rewarding.”

Marianne, your efforts truly bring joy to others. You add to those qualities which you admire about our community, and we thank you.

— Jake Heckathorn