1935 — Dec. 20, 2025
Longtime Ashland resident Marilyn Briggs died peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, on Dec. 20, 2025. She was 90 years old.
Marilyn was born in 1935 and grew up in a Jewish family in Denver. She loved horses and art. From childhood she knew she wanted to be an artist. She studied art history at UCLA which included a year abroad in Mexico City. She met her future husband while at UCLA.
After graduation, Marilyn trained as an airline stewardess, but just before accepting a job offer, she received a marriage proposal by telegram and chose to marry instead. While her husband, John Briggs, attended graduate school at Berkeley, Marilyn earned her master’s degree in painting at an art school in the Bay Area.
In 1961, her husband John joined the English Department at Southern Oregon College, now SOU. The couple settled on a farm in Ashland where they raised their three children along with scores of farm animals, a huge vegetable garden and an orchard. Family activities included skiing, tennis and foreign travel. Before her death, four generations of Marilyn’s family lived on the same beloved property.
In 1963, Marilyn opened Ashland’s first art gallery, the Stump, on the Ashland Plaza. The gallery was open during the Oregon Shakespeare Festival season and continued for eight seasons. Marilyn also exhibited her own art at many venues in the Rogue Valley.
Throughout the years Marilyn taught art at all levels, kindergarten through college, as well as adult education classes in oil painting, crafts, and architectural drafting for home remodeling. She was the art coordinator for the Ashland elementary schools in the 1980s.
At the age 50, Marilyn became a ski instructor at Mt. Ashland Ski Area and she continued for nine ski seasons. Starting in 1997, Marilyn served on the city of Ashland Planning Commission for six years.
Marilyn was a creative force. She painted throughout her adult life and created many inventive fabric-sculptures. Her home was filled with her artwork. She was a strong woman who valued education, the arts, culture and travel. She was adventurous and vivacious. She had many friends and was loved by her family. She influenced the lives and life choices of many.
Marilyn is survived by her brother, her three children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. As she wished, there will be no memorial service. She is deeply missed.
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