Obituary of Marcia B. Jilk

Marcia (Sill) Bryans Jilk, age 82, passed away peacefully in her Audubon, PA, residence on February 25, 2023, after shining as a radiant star of bravery and positivity in her battle against multiple health conditions. Her tiny 4’10” frame held a big heart that lived and loved abundantly.

Born in Wayne, PA, in June of 1940, Marcia graduated from Radnor High School (1958) and Bennett Junior College (1960) and worked at the Saturday Evening Post before her marriage of 57 years to Lawrence (Larry) T. Jilk Jr., a romance that began on Waverly Street in Philadelphia, where they had been neighbors. Later, in 1995, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Alvernia College.

Marcia and Larry raised two daughters, Linda and Karyn, in Chestnut Hill, Ambler, and Boyertown, and in most recent years, the couple resided in Phoenixville and Shannondell in Audubon.

Marcia was a talented and passionate artist (drawing and painting), singer and pianist who could play any song she knew by ear.  She starred in various musical productions, served as editor of a community newsletter and magazine, coordinated an annual festival of the arts, served on various boards focused on community improvement, and hosted ArtScene, a local TV show promoting the arts. She loved reading and learning, listening to music and attending theater and musical performances, and talking and connecting with people. Marcia was a skilled tennis player, beautiful swimmer, avid Eagles fan, very patriotic, a lifelong lover of golden retrievers; and couldn’t resist a good homemade oatmeal cookie.

Above all, she was an incredible wife, mom, and grandmother; she and her husband focused on enrichment and learning experiences for her daughters, granddaughters, and husband’s Little Brother, and her positive values created a lifelong strong family.

She enjoyed family vacations on a Wyoming horse ranch as a child, and she and Larry loved traveling together to distant lands such as Iceland, Ireland, Spain and England. Her favorite places were the rocky coastlines of Maine, Nova Scotia and Big Sur, and she loved spending time on Sanibel Island, Florida, in Lewes, Delaware, and visiting with her children and grandchildren.

A cheerleader in high school, she spent a lifetime lifting up others by caring and sharing love and her infectious smile with family and friends. Marcia passionately supported  causes that she believed in, including education and opportunities for disadvantaged youth, protecting our earth, eliminating gun violence, and connecting service dogs with veterans.

She may have been small in stature but her heart, smile, kindness, and thoughtfulness were as vast as the oceans she loved to sit by. Her legacy of generosity, compassion for others and her strong values of honesty and loyalty will live in the hearts of all whose lives she touched.

Marcia is survived by her husband, Lawrence (Larry) Jilk of Audubon, PA; daughter Karyn Jilk Hartland and son-in-law Jonathan Hartland of Groton, Vt; daughter Linda Jilk, son-in-law Michael Stowe, and grand-daughters Emma and Eliza Jilk Stowe of Blacksburg, VA; brother Harry Bryans and sister-in-law Martha of Kennett Square, PA; sister Barbara Brennan and life partner Gyb Spilsbury of St. Petersburg, Florida; special family friend Chad Fox of Craftsbury, Vermont; and numerous nieces, nephews, and close friends. She was predeceased by her parents, Helen and Henry Bryans.

A Celebration of Life service for Marcia will be held Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 10:30 AM at Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge. All are invited to join together after the service for a reception at the church.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to one of the organizations Marcia supported:  

• Hope Partnership for Education, 2601 N. 11th St., Philadelphia PA 19133 (www.hopepartnershipforeducation.org)
• Environmental Defense Fund, 1875 Connecticut Ave NW Suite 300, Washington DC 20009 (www.edf.org)
• Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence, PO Box 51196, Washington, DC 20091(https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/)