Marylyn Duhon Munsterman was the daughter of Dewey J. and Ada L. Duhon and sister of Glenn D. Duhon and was born in Beaumont, Texas.  She leaves her most precious niece and God-child Glené Duhon Wolfe and her husband Phillip Jerry Wolfe, and grandnephew J. Brent Wolfe (Darrelyn) and grandnephew Adam R. Wolfe (Aspen), along with two great grandnieces all who reside in Arizona.

She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Lamar College of Technology, graduating summa cum laude, and later studied at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, while working towards her master’s degree.  She graduated from Lamar University with the first Mast of Science degree in Speech with a minor in English.  Her thesis was an Original Readers Theatre’s Manuscript Based on the Works of Edna St. Vincent Millay.

Marylyn’s parents recognized earl her musical talents and she began piano lessons at age five studying classical music for twelve years; she also studied dance with Widman and Sproule School of Dance, and had private Expression lessons with Mrs. George McCraken. She performed in numerous skits and programs while in the elementary grades.  Marylyn  attended St. Anthony’s Elementary School and graduated from South Park High School.  While in high school she studied with many great musicians including O.G. Parks, Edna Brooks, W.P. Wiedemann and Ruth Howell, thereby furthering her musical education.

She was elected as a Varsity Cheerleader, graduated in the top ten percent of her class and was chosen to speak at the Baccalaureate Exercise. She was also elected president of the High School Orchestra and Drum and Bugle Corps, and served as pianist for the Orchestra, Glee Club, as well as playing bell-lyre with the Marching Band and chimes with the Symphonic Band.

Her first public performance was at the age of five singing and playing her own accompaniment to “Chink, Chink, Chinaman” which eventually led in later life to her glamorous portrayal of Dolly Gallagher Levy in Hello, Dolly! and her memorable role as Mama Rose in Gypsy.  She also lent her natural comedic timing to the Jewish mama Mrs. Baker in Come Blow Your Horn, Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit, Parthy Ann Hawks in Showboat, Ida Dodd in 70, Girls, 70, and many more productions.  Marylyn also enjoyed serious drama as well appearing in the lead role of Regina Hubbard in The Little Foxes, Louise Harrington in Five Finger Exercise, Ethel Thayer in On Golden Pond, Kate Keller in All My Sons, and the plum part of Sadie Thompson in W. Somerset Maugham’s Rain.  This performance prompted Merita Mills, drama critic, to write “It is seldom on the non-professional stage that one is privileged to see a performance of the scope given by Marylyn Munsterman in a role that has defeated many an established actress.”  In 2001 she portrayed Clairee Belcher in Steel Magnolias for the Port Arthur Little Theatre under the direction of Mike Hayes who said “she connected with the audience and stole the show nightly”.

During her tenure at Forest Park High School, she taught Drama I, II, III, and IV classes and produced, staged and directed many Broadway musicals including 110 in the Shade, Li’l Abner, Bye, Bye Birdie, Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. In addition, she directed numerous dramas, comedies, UIL contest plays and Senior/Faculty Follies.

Marylyn loved to travel and visited Europe on eight different occasions experiencing the highs and lows of travel.  She used to say when she and Al went to Europe, “We had a suite at the Savoy, dinner at Maxim’s, and the Comedie Francaise in Paris”.  Later traveling with a teacher friend she said, “We went on a Euro-Rail Pass and slept on a cot one night that was placed in an emptied swimming pool in Athens, Greece because all of the Hotels were full”.

She and her husband, Alfred, were business partners in Munsterman Tile Company, Jefferson Tile Company in Port Arthur, Sabine Tile Company in Orange, and Beaumont Specialty Wholesale Company that included a franchise for Weber-Wilber Vaults in Beaumont.

Marylyn was not blessed with children but she claimed hundreds of students whom she had taken as her own in her twenty years as a Drama, Speech and English educator.  In her teaching, she imbued her students with her own integrity and excellence, her high esteem of values and spiritual respect of morals.  She listened and guided, and developed lifelong friendships along the way.

Marylyn was tremendously blessed in having many talents.  She was a singer, a pianist, a decorator, a business owner, a jewelry designer, and was not afraid to tackle any project whether it was large or small.  In a word, she had PANACHE; she had CLASS; she had HEART.  God had blessed her with a most unusual and creative talent and SHE knew it.  Excelling in one area of the Arts was not her goal; her goal was to savor all creative avenues offered by all the Arts.  She gave her time and talent enthusiastically. The Arts encompassed her as she encompassed them in writing, acting, directing, dancing, crafting and musically. Marylyn understood the relationships of all the Arts and she reveled in her enjoyment of them.

She served as Director of Music, Co-director of Pageant and Coronation and as Director of Pageant and Coronation for the Neches River Festival.  She wrote many original songs and scripts, and directed many skits, plays and productions for various organizations including Symphony League, Beaumont Club, United Appeals, Catholic Youth Organization, St. Jude’s Youth, St. Jude’s Renew Prayer Groups, Beaumont Civic Opera Buffs, and directed the highly successful A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum for the Beaumont Civic Opera.

After her retirement from teaching, she directed the Junior League Children’s Theatre for eight years, served as Program Director of Young Audiences for two years, and taught private speech lessons.  Also, she owned and operated two vintage jewelry boutiques, Ada’s in Beaumont and Dewi’s in Nederland, named after her parents.

Her most enjoyable ministry occurred later in life when she served as Lector and Commentator at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church.  The Church became her life and special interest and she enjoyed her bi-monthly Angel prayer group meetings and weekly Bible Study classes.

She was a member of many professional organizations during her teaching career and was the recipient of many honors during her lifetime.  She was most proud of having been selected to Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, Cap and Gown, and Phi Kappa Phi.

A gathering of Mrs. Munsterman’s family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 700 p.m., with her Rosary recited at 6:00 p.m., Friday, February 26, 2016, at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, February 27, 2016, at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, 6825 Gladys Avenue, Beaumont, with her interment to follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Beaumont.