Marilyn E. (McCabe) Honeywill
Marilyn E. (McCabe) Honeywill, 83, of Gibsonia went home to her Lord Monday.
She was born on July 17, 1930, in Pittsburgh, to the late Edward G. and Vitoline (Berg) McCabe.
She was preceded in death by her ex-husband, Ransom P. Honeywill.
She is survived by her dear sister, Gretchen Coyne (James) and her loving brother, Jerry McCabe (Cecilia), both of Pittsburgh; her three daughters, Lynn Norris (Dave) of Middlesex, Gretchen Dill (Dan) of Seattle, Wash., and Susan Liebenberg (Brainerd) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and her three sons, Noel Honeywill (Linda) of Hopewell Township, William Honeywill (Linda) of Gibsonia and Edward Honeywill of Wexford. Honeyma’s cherished seven grandchildren, Alex Honeywill, Kerri Lutz (Ron), Michael Fugh, Chris Honeywill (Jen), Sean Honeywill (Sara), Elizabeth Kuula (Benjamin) and David Dill (Caitlin), and her six great-grandchildren, Eric and Maria Lutz, Kyra and Allison Honeywill, Emerson Honeywill and Ethan Kuula also survive.
Marilyn received her education at the Ursuline Academy Catholic Convent School, Pittsburgh Music Institute, and attended the Pennsylvania College for Women (Chatham College). Early in life, Marilyn excelled musically as a singer. In the late 1940s, she sang on KDKA Radio’s “Welcome Aboard” emceed by Ed Schaughency and Bernie Armstrong, and later in the 1950s on KDKA TV’s early morning programming, all the while raising six children on a farm in Mars. She represented Pittsburgh area Chevrolet dealers as the “Chevrolet Sweetheart” singing their famous “See the USA in Your Chevrolet” song. In the 1970s, Marilyn sang at Heinz Hall in the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera summer shows of “Camelot,” “Minnie’s Boys” and “Bye Bye Birdie,” for which The Post Gazette’s, Joe Browne, said of her in his “OUR TOWN” column, “I’ll tell you, she’s still got the face and figure to play Kathy in ‘The Student Prince.’” When her wonderful soprano voice began to fade, Marilyn put her great creative talents to work in a new direction when in 1988, with her daughter, Lynn, assisting, she became the founder, owner and publisher of what would become the national award winning Pittsburgh Parent magazine. Her monthly “Bee In My Bonnet” column provided great insights and inspiration to mothers everywhere. Our mother was an extraordinary woman of great talent, compassion, love, energy and resiliency (having twice survived breast cancer). She set a very high bar to which each of us should aspire. We love you HoneyMa!
HONEYWILL — The friends of Marilyn E. (McCabe) Honeywill, who passed away Monday, Dec. 16, 2013, will be received at the McCabe Bros. Funeral Home, 6214 Walnut St., Shadyside, from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday. A funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church of Bakerstown, with a luncheon to follow at the church. Everyone please gather at the church. Interment will be private.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Marilyn's memory to the First Presbyterian Church Bakerstown Memorial Fund Bakerstown, 5825 Heckert Road, Bakerstown, PA 15007.
