Marilyn (nee Agee) Combs passed away in the early hours of January 8, 2024 at The Whitehall of Deerfield. She was born on September 8, 1934 in Memphis, Tennessee to Lucille Jennings and Douglas Leigh Agee. She attended high school there and loved telling stories involving her talented classmate, Elvis Presley. From there she attended Christian College for Women in Columbia, Missouri, where she received her Associate degree in Art and was involved in horseback riding and harness racing. She moved on to Evanston, Illinois, but never lost her southern accent of her love for all things southern, from cheese grits to Dolly Parton.

In Evanston she worked for the Evanston Bank and Trust where she met the love of her life, James Robert Combs, in July of 1956. He took her on an unforgettable date to the private Sigma Chi headquarters beach on Lake Michigan, after which she broke off her previous engagement, getting engaged to Jim just six weeks later on her birthday in September and maying him on December 15th of that year. They had a long and devoted marriage and celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary in December of 2023.

After giving birth to their daughter Ceil Anne in Evanston, they soon moved to Buffalo, New York, then on to Omaha, Nebraska for Jim’s career in agricultural commodities. There they gave birth to their son, James Robert, II. While in Omaha, Marilyn enjoyed raising and showing Great Danes and her gourmet cooking club.

From there the family moved to Brookfield, and later Elm Grove, Wisconsin. It was there that Marilyn received the nickname Mona from a neighbor boy who could not pronounce Marilyn. It stuck with her from that day on. Mona volunteered in the Brookfield Central High School nurse’s office, and became well known for her “Mona Talks” with Ceil and Robb’s friends, giving countless teens relationship advice and loving every second of it. Her closest, most enduring friendships were from this time in Wisconsin and Mona and Jim especially loved spending weekends on the water at the many lakes in the area.

As empty-nesters, Mona and Jim finally realized Mona’s dream of returning to the South and moved to Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas to be near her sister, Anne Agee Hickman.

Mona loved being on the boat, floating on an air mattress in the lake, and attending the horse races at Oaklawn, especially the Arkansa Derby. Their house was filled with Robb’s college friends from the University of Arkansas most weekends, where Mona excelled at whipping up her southern specialties, from Deviled Eggs to Biscuits and Gravy for the boys. Mona also had a job managing the Belle of Hot Springs Riverboat retail store and hostessing on the Belle, which was non-stop fun whenever she was aboard.

From Hot Springs they followed Robb to Tampa, Florida, where he moved after college. While there Mona worked as a greeter at the Lowry Park Zoo where she famously was on a first name basis with their prized hippo, Jordi.

When Robb left Tampa, Mona and Jim moved to Lake Forest, Illinois to spend time with Ceil, her husband Andy Barrie, and played an active role in helping out with their children. Mona’s favorite place to spend time was by the pool or at Lake Forest Beach looking out at the water or perusing one of her numerous cookbook collection or an issue of Southern Living magazine.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her sister Anne Agee Hickman. She is survived by her husband, James Robert Combs, daughter Ceil Barrie (Andy), son Robb (Amanda) and six grandchildren; Emma Barrie Jackson (Tyler), Doug Barrie (Lindsey), Ed Barrie, Keegan Combs, Camden Combs, and Hadley Combs.

There will be a celebration of life on August 24th, at 11:00 AM in the southernmost pavilion at Lake Forest Beach. Some parking passes will be available at the southern beach entrance, or contact the family in advance if you do not have a city sticker and plan to attend.