Marilyn (Sally) Meeks Powell died peacefully at home from complications of a stroke on Friday morning January 13th, 2012. She was born August 2nd, 1927 in San Diego, Calif., the oldest daughter of Milo L. Meeks, Jr. and Elizabeth Curti Meeks, growing up in Norfolk, VA.

Her family moved to Chapel Hill, N.C., from Norfolk Va. in 1940, where her father was an officer with the NROTC. She graduated from Chapel Hill High School in 1944. She attended UNC for several years and returned to Norfolk with her family in 1945. She eventually came back to UNC and graduated in 1950.

Sally married Carol Whidbee (Whid) Powell in 1950 where they raised three children in Chapel Hill, living on Marilyn Lane, a street named after her. She was an avid reader. As well, Sally loved to play bridge with the "bridge club", a group of close friends who played bridge together for over 40 years. She took up golf as an adult with great gusto. As a member of the Chapel Hill Country Club she won many flight awards in tournaments she entered across the state. In the 1970’s, she began her work at UNC as an administrative assistant for Christopher Fordham, then Dean of the Medical School at UNC. Several years later, she was a social research associate for the Department of Social Medicine at UNC, working for the departmental chair Glenn Wilson during a time of great innovation and change in the field of medical education and community health.

Marilyn is preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Milo L. Meeks III, and daughter, Carol Elizabeth Powell (Divvie) in August, 2011.

She is survived by her sister, Janet M. Bryant (Bernard Bryant) (Chapel Hill); daughter, Jennifer Powell and son, Cameron W. Powell (both of Chapel Hill); grandchildren, Caitlin Fay (Dartmouth, MA) , Cameron Pearce, Madeleine Pearce, Jonathon Powell, Ashley Powell (all of Chapel Hill); great-grandchild, Kya Fay-Steele (Dartmouth, MA); nephew, Robert Bryant (Roberta Bryant) of Orlando, FL; and niece, Nancy B. Poppe (Jeff Poppe) of Delray, FL.

Please join us in celebrating Sally’s life at an open house for friends and family on Saturday, February 25 at the home of Jennifer Powell, 2439 Springview Trail, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 between 6:00-8:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to her favorite charity, St. Labre Indian School Education Association, P.O. Box 216, Ashland MAT, 59003-0216.