Marlys Gerber was born in 1938 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, after the passing of her father when she was 10, her family moved to Seattle where she later graduated from Lincoln High School.
Determined and independent from a young age, Marlys worked to put herself through community college and then the University of Washington, where she earned her degree in nursing. After graduation and some travel, Marlys worked as a stewardess nurse for the Northern Pacific Railway Company and, after two years, returned to the University of Washington to earn her master’s degree as a psychiatric nurse and became an advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP). During her final year of graduate school, a New Year’s Eve trip to Crystal Mountain changed her life. While celebrating New Year’s Eve at the Snorting Elk, she met Len Gerber. Three short months later, Marlys and Len married in Sun Valley, Idaho, in March 1966.
Together, Len and Marlys built a life centered around family, friends, and the places they loved. They raised their children, Jeff and Christy Anna, in Seattle, spending winter weekends skiing at Crystal Mountain and summers boating throughout the San Juans, Gulf Islands, and Canada’s Inland Passage.
After 30 years at Community Psychiatric Clinic in Seattle, Marlys joined Len in retirement, spending much of their time in Sun Valley, where they enjoyed the mountains and the company of lifelong friends. Many Ancient Skiers members remember Marlys for her passion for our fun group and her work with registration for the week. Marlys also loved the Annual NASTAR race, both racing and organizing the event.
Marlys was never shy about sharing her opinion, and if kindness and fortitude can exist in equal measure, that was Marlys. She worked hard and always wanted the very best for the people she loved. Marlys also knew how to enjoy life, those who knew her can easily picture her after a last run down Limelight enjoying a gin and tonic at the base of Warm Springs with a megawatt smile.
Marlys leaves behind a family who loved her deeply: her husband, Len Gerber; her son, Jeff Gerber, wife Becca Bassingthwaighte, and their children, Erin and George Gerber; Marlys’ daughter, Christy Anna Gerber, husband Patrick Deal, Patrick’s daughter and Christy Anna’s stepdaughter, Maggie Deal.