Obituary for Marilyn Nettie Hagan (Cranston)
Our mom, Marilyn Hagan, age 82, passed away peacefully early on November 23, 2022 surrounded by love and support from her daughters.
Marilyn, aka, Mommy and Grandma, was born in 1940 raised on a farm in Atlanta, Kansas with her sister and two brothers. Mom married young to Robert Cooper and had her first child Derek at age 21. She raised Derek for many years as a single Mom and worked hard to provide a good and happy life for him eventually being transferred to Fort Worth, TX. She met and married David Hagan in 1971 and gave birth to daughters Laura and Kyla and raised them in Fort Worth.
Marilyn was a stay at home mom during her daughters early years, but got involved in extracurricular activities alongside her girls, becoming an excellent figure skater in her forties and learning to ski. During this time she developed a passion for decorating and gardening and participated in the Fort Worth Iris Society. She was also very active in Kyla’s competitive swimming and was on the board of the FAST swim team.
Mom returned to college to pursue her Bachelor of Science and graduated with a 4.0 from Texas Wesleyan University at the age of 59 despite having suffered a stroke during her coursework.
While completing her degree, Mom worked in administrative and career development roles at Texas Wesleyan University, running their pre-professional program for students looking to pursue law, medical or ministerial careers. Lastly at the University of Texas at Arlington she was an administrator in the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, where she became a second mom to a large number of international students pursuing PhDs who were far away from their own homes. Marilyn treasured relationships with these students and helping them to adjust to the U.S.
Marilyn was a lifelong learner and had many interests and hobbies. She spent several years singing with the choir group Sweet Adelines. Mom was an avid reader and treasured her fiction novels and National Geographic and Smithsonian magazines. She loved to laugh, talk and tell stories. She didn’t forget to relax- she loved a good massage, hanging out with her cat Gus, and watching Masterpiece Theater. She loved politics and to debate about politics. Her son Derek and her ex-husband David were her favorite opponents for her political debates.
She loved travel and appreciated different cultures traveling around the world until she was 77. She visited Egypt, Russia, Madagascar, and the Galápagos, to name a few, mostly with her daughter Laura. She also visited Kyla when she was volunteering in Mali, West Africa and went to Timbuktu.
Her adventures continued as a dedicated grandma, having spent several years living in Anchorage, Alaska and Lakewood, Colorado to help care for her grandbabies, Sydney and Lexi.
After her son Derek passed away in 2016, she wanted to return to the country. Mom moved to Winnsboro where she worked with a local home builder to design a lovely home in the heart of the piney woods that brought her incredible joy. Up until her final weeks, she worked in her garden and the forest where she was most happy.
Marilyn loved her children and grandchildren most of all. She will be dearly missed by friends and family. Her love for family, for adventure, and for creating beautiful spaces and gardens will be remembered and emulated by all who loved her.
Marilyn is survived by daughters Laura Hagan and Kyla Hagan-Haynes, son-in-law Robert Haynes, precious granddaughters Sydney and Lexi Retzer, her sister Kathleen Hester, ex-husband David Hagan, and her cat, Gus. She is preceded in death by her son Derek Cooper, her parents Leona Miller Cranston and Carroll Cranston, and her brothers Buell Cranston and Clare Cranston.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Marilyn's name to:
Winnsboro Center for the Arts - https://winnsborocenterforthearts.com/donate/ or
Hospice of East Texas - In Memory of - https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E114823&id=10
Marilyn, aka, Mommy and Grandma, was born in 1940 raised on a farm in Atlanta, Kansas with her sister and two brothers. Mom married young to Robert Cooper and had her first child Derek at age 21. She raised Derek for many years as a single Mom and worked hard to provide a good and happy life for him eventually being transferred to Fort Worth, TX. She met and married David Hagan in 1971 and gave birth to daughters Laura and Kyla and raised them in Fort Worth.
Marilyn was a stay at home mom during her daughters early years, but got involved in extracurricular activities alongside her girls, becoming an excellent figure skater in her forties and learning to ski. During this time she developed a passion for decorating and gardening and participated in the Fort Worth Iris Society. She was also very active in Kyla’s competitive swimming and was on the board of the FAST swim team.
Mom returned to college to pursue her Bachelor of Science and graduated with a 4.0 from Texas Wesleyan University at the age of 59 despite having suffered a stroke during her coursework.
While completing her degree, Mom worked in administrative and career development roles at Texas Wesleyan University, running their pre-professional program for students looking to pursue law, medical or ministerial careers. Lastly at the University of Texas at Arlington she was an administrator in the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, where she became a second mom to a large number of international students pursuing PhDs who were far away from their own homes. Marilyn treasured relationships with these students and helping them to adjust to the U.S.
Marilyn was a lifelong learner and had many interests and hobbies. She spent several years singing with the choir group Sweet Adelines. Mom was an avid reader and treasured her fiction novels and National Geographic and Smithsonian magazines. She loved to laugh, talk and tell stories. She didn’t forget to relax- she loved a good massage, hanging out with her cat Gus, and watching Masterpiece Theater. She loved politics and to debate about politics. Her son Derek and her ex-husband David were her favorite opponents for her political debates.
She loved travel and appreciated different cultures traveling around the world until she was 77. She visited Egypt, Russia, Madagascar, and the Galápagos, to name a few, mostly with her daughter Laura. She also visited Kyla when she was volunteering in Mali, West Africa and went to Timbuktu.
Her adventures continued as a dedicated grandma, having spent several years living in Anchorage, Alaska and Lakewood, Colorado to help care for her grandbabies, Sydney and Lexi.
After her son Derek passed away in 2016, she wanted to return to the country. Mom moved to Winnsboro where she worked with a local home builder to design a lovely home in the heart of the piney woods that brought her incredible joy. Up until her final weeks, she worked in her garden and the forest where she was most happy.
Marilyn loved her children and grandchildren most of all. She will be dearly missed by friends and family. Her love for family, for adventure, and for creating beautiful spaces and gardens will be remembered and emulated by all who loved her.
Marilyn is survived by daughters Laura Hagan and Kyla Hagan-Haynes, son-in-law Robert Haynes, precious granddaughters Sydney and Lexi Retzer, her sister Kathleen Hester, ex-husband David Hagan, and her cat, Gus. She is preceded in death by her son Derek Cooper, her parents Leona Miller Cranston and Carroll Cranston, and her brothers Buell Cranston and Clare Cranston.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Marilyn's name to:
Winnsboro Center for the Arts - https://winnsborocenterforthearts.com/donate/ or
Hospice of East Texas - In Memory of - https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E114823&id=10