Marilyn Frances Ricard

 Marilyn Frances (Lang) Ricard, 73 of Wake Forest, passed away Thursday evening, May 17, 2018. Marilyn was born in Keene, New Hampshire to the late Charles Lang and Dorothy Brown Lang. Marilyn was a graduate of the University of N.H. and a certified clinical pathologist at Dartmouth Medical School in NH performing early research in chemical and radio isotopic procedures and developing new methods in radioimmunoassay. Marilyn set aside her medical profession to care for her growing family. She loved animals and had four Morgan horses, many cats, dogs, rabbits and used to love to feed and watch the wild birds and animals in her North Carolina backyard. Hand quilting and bowling were her favorite hobbies. Her husband John worked with the Corps of Engineers and Marilyn moved with her family from NH, Vermont then to NC to work on the Falls Lake Dam Project. She then moved to Delaware, Pennsylvania and finally retired back to Wake Forest. She loved to fish, take walks, collect fossils, rocks, and even helped the Smithsonian Institution in a fossil dig in Delaware. She is a born-again believer in Jesus Christ and is now enjoying her home going. Marilyn participated and enjoyed working with the Mission Raleigh food pantry food distribution. She was an active member of Mount Vernon Baptist Church, initially starting the children church program in 1979.

Friends visited with the family from 10-11:00 A.M., Monday morning, May 21, 2018 at Mount Vernon Baptist Church, 7600 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC followed by a funeral service at 11:00 A.M. Burial followed in the Olde Mount Vernon Church Cemetery.

Marilyn is survived by her husband of 44 years, John Ricard; children, Peter Ricard & wife Yvette of Thorndale, PA, Rebecca Magyar & husband Mike of Franklinton and Jonathan Ricard of Deerfield Beach, FL; grandchildren, Jarod Magyar, Gabriel Ricard, Micah Ricard and Yvette’s newly arrived twins, Luna and Stella Ricard; brother, Charles O. Lang; several nephews and a niece.

Marilyn was an Alzheimer’s patient at the Duke Neurological Disorders Clinic where she participated in several clinical trials. One of which proved helpful with early detection of Alzheimer’s disease thru electronic brain scans.

Marilyn used to help with Samaritan’s Purse, Christmas Shoe Box distribution and the family would like any memorial contributions to be made to the Samaritan’s Purse Ministry, P.O. Box 3000, Boone NC 28607 or to Gideons International, P.O. Box 97251, Washington, DC 20090-7251.

A service of Clancy Strickland Wheeler Funeral Home, 1051 Durham Road, Wake Forest, NC. (919)556-7400

www.cswfuneralhome.com