Marillyn Peirce King Christensen, 90, passed away peacefully Sunday, July 17, 2022, at the Homestead assisted-living center in Rexburg, Idaho, from natural causes.

Marillyn was born November 5, 1931, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Earle Wagner Peirce and Lydia Stevens. She was the oldest of four children, and attended grade school, junior high school, high school, and college in Salt Lake City.

She began taking piano lessons at age 5, starting a life-long career of music performance, accompaniment and teaching. As a teenager, she accompanied a popular vocal double trio and the 100-plus acappella choir at East High School in Salt Lake City.

Marillyn attended the University of Utah, where she met Paul R. King at a Lambda Delta Sigma event. Paul, a singer, was looking for a brown-eyed piano player. They were married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple June 1, 1950, and made their home on a farm near Moore, Idaho, where they raised five sons and an Indian placement boy.

Paul passed away in 1988, and Marillyn returned to Salt Lake City to live with her mother. In 1998, she met and married a widower, Charles Richard "Dick" Christensen of Murray, Utah, in the Salt Lake Temple. Her neighbor and friend, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, performed the ceremony.

Dick died in 2008.

At age 87, Marillyn moved to Sugar City, Idaho, in 2019 to live with her oldest son Bruce and his wife Elaine. She entered the Homestead March 11.

Marillyn taught piano lessons for decades and accompanied Paul, a gifted tenor, at hundreds of events. She also taught her sons to sing four-part harmonies and accompanied them, her grandchildren, and many others in church and community programs.

She served as ward organist, Relief Society president, Primary president, youth teacher, and temple ordinance worker. In her 80s, she continued to perform medleys of hymns and other sacred music in sacrament meetings.

While living with her mother in Salt Lake City, Marillyn became a visiting teaching companion and walking partner of the late June Oaks, wife of then Elder Dallin H. Oaks. June twice asked her to accompany her daughter Jenny (now Baker), a famed violinist.

Grateful for her pioneer heritage, Marillyn was an active member of the Utah Daughters of the Pioneers. She was known for her service to family and friends. She shared her testimony of the restored Church of Jesus Christ in word and deed.

Marillyn enjoyed reading, movies, and supporting others in their pursuits. She was kind, generous, and loving, an excellent wife, mother, daughter, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, and friend.

Marillyn is survived by her brother Earle W. Peirce, Jr., of Sandy, Utah; sister LuRae Foster, of Mesa, Arizona; sons Bruce (Elaine) King, of Sugar City, Idaho, Brent (Marilee) King, of Mapleton, Utah, Barry (Laurie) King, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Corey (Lucy) King, of Chubbuck, Idaho; 19 grandchildren; and 46 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Lynda, her two husbands, son Gregory Ray King, and grandson Cyrus Ray King.

The viewing will be from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Friday, July 22, 2022, at the Moore Idaho LDS Stake Center at 3100 North 3350 West in Moore, Idaho, with the funeral following at 11 a.m. Interment will be in the Lost River Cemetery on 3434 W. 2900 N. southwest of Moore, Idaho.

Services may be viewed at: https://my.gather.app/remember/marillyn-christensen