Marilyn Knight

Oct. 6, 1933 - May 24, 2025

Marilyn Sanchez-Corea Knight, beloved, wife, mother and Nonie to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, passed away peacefully at her home on May 24 surrounded by her family. Born in San Francisco to Antonio and Helene Sanchez-Corea, she was the first of four children. She graduated from the Convent of the Sacred Heart in 1951 and from Stanford University in 1955 with a degree in Child Psychology. In 1954, Marilyn found the love of her life in Geoffrey Knight and they married in 1955.

Marilyn went on to a career of education, earning a master’s degree from the University of San Francisco in Early Childhood Education. She and Geoff had two children, Jocelyn and Geoffrey, and in 1963 moved from San Francisco to Tiburon, where they formed a large community of friends.

Marilyn taught pre-school in Marin City and then went on to become a director, executive director and educational consultant of the Belvedere-Hawthorne Nursery School from 1968 to 2004. She created curricula that are still used today. She was famous for her Mornings with Marilyn discussions with new parents in her home.

A parishioner of St. Hilary’s Catholic Church for 62 years, she and Geoff led seminars for Wedding Prep parishioners. Marilyn also served as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister. She was a member of the Ministry of Consolation, Parish Council and Social Justice at San Quentin.

Some of the numerous charities she supported were: St. Vincent de Paul, as a board member for Marin Homeless in Action, Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology fund-raising committee, and Homebound, where she supported children in Guatemala for decades.

Marilyn was a faithful, well-educated Catholic devoted to assistance to the sick and poor. With 23 years membership in the Order of Malta, Marilyn was a leading participant in the Growing the Faith program for marginalized children in Marin County, California, where she oversaw the preparation of curricula, the teaching and provision of age-appropriate Catholic books and materials for school children K-8.

Marilyn was also a generous benefactor of the Northern California Clinic of the Order of Malta, The Global Fund for Forgotten People of the Order of Malta and numerous works of charity sponsored by the local order. Marilyn participated in eight Lourdes pilgrimages.

Her enormous generosity defined inclusion, her Thanksgiving dinners always had an extra chair for anyone without family that year. She was all about family. “Family of choice” is how she referred to her closest friends, and she was “Mom” to many of her children’s friends and “Nonie” to several of her grandchildren’s friends. She loved feeding people and wanted her home to be the destination for all the family gatherings, holidays, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and parties just for fun. No one ever left her house hungry and more often than not they got leftovers. She reveled in decorating the house for every season and her table settings were her art. She loved gourmet cooking, flower arranging, art, books, spicy food, travel, music and dancing.

Marilyn and Geoff also found time to travel to 39 countries exploring them for their history, culture and art. They were an inseparable force for 42 years until his sudden death in 1997.

She was a believer in all things possible, including Angels in our lives.

She is survived by her daughter Jocelyn Knight Cacciatore (James); son Geoffrey Gerard (fiancé Anna); brother Marc Sanchez-Corea (Cathy); grandson Dominic Cacciatore (Anni); great-granddaughter Jennifer Jocelyn; granddaughter Maria Elena Cacciatore Gutierrez (Daniel); great-grandchildren Alegra and Mateo; sister-in law Lucille Sanchez-Corea; nieces Lisa Simpson (Justin), Maggie Richardson (Trevor) and Elena Sanchez-Pineda (Sergio); nephew Tony Sanchez-Corea III (Karen), Rene Forbes (Bill), Paul Forbes and Doug Forbes (Sherri). Her sister Rosalyn Schummers, brother Tony Sanchez-Corea II and niece Laura Hoskings predeceased her.

A Rosary will take place at St. Hilary’s Church in Tiburon on Thursday, June 12 at 7:00pm, Funeral mass Friday, June 13, at 10:00 am, also at St. Hilary’s Church.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made in Marilyn’s honor be sent to St. Vincent de Paul of San Rafael or the Western Dominican Province Retirement Fund, or any medical establishment researching breast cancer.