Marilee P. Hurst

Marilee Roper Parrish Hurst, 88, of Lawrence, Kansas, passed away on September 23, 2025 surrounded by family.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Oklahoma City, Marilee attended Classen High School and then in 1958 graduated from Oklahoma University and married Robert “Bob” Hurst. They settled in the Kansas City area to raise their family. She was a schoolteacher, an outdoor leader for Girl Scouts, and worked tirelessly at self-improvement. In recent years, Marilee moved to Lawrence to be closer to her daughter.

Marilee was a lifelong tennis player who was known for her gracious competitiveness, always complimenting her opponents. After a car wreck in her late 70s robbed her of the ability to play, she expressed her competitive spirit through board games, puzzle competitions with her grandson and cheering her favorite tennis players on television. She was active all her life, taking pride in describing her youthful self as a “tomboy”, riding and showing horses, climbing trees, skiing and at age 60, working at Yellowstone National Park for a summer.

Her belief in the good in people, her sense of humor as well as her optimism and open heart left a lasting impression on everyone she met.

She is survived by her children: Lauren, Kelley and Elinor; four grandchildren, her sister Laura Midgley, and her beloved cat Addie Lou. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bob; her mother, Mary Frances Parrish Wilson, her father Elbert Lee Roper, Jr; and her sister Josephine Hale.

Marilee will be remembered for her unmatched gift of gab, her devotion to her family, lifelong friends and Tri-Delta sisters, her enthusiastic pride in her children and her delight in her Kansas grandchildren, Miles Dean and Walter Hurst. In her last months, she was cared for by her daughter, her friend Lori Pearson, and the kind attentions of the amazing hospice staff of Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association: Chris, Kevin, Joy, Sherri, Nonie, Alicia and Teri. These caring people loved and comforted her and supported her family during her final days.

A visitation will be held at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, Lawrence, KS on October 4th from 2-4 p.m. followed by a private interment at Fairlawn Cemetery, Oklahoma City.  In lieu of flowers, Marilee’s family would be honored if you considered a gift in her memory to Audubon of Kansas audubonofkansas.org or to the National Parks Foundation.