Beloved Mother and Grandmother, Miss Marilyn June Criss, age 96, native of Indiana, and 70-year resident of Chicago, passed away on December 8, 2024. She was born in Coalmont, Indiana.

Proud of her small-town beginnings and her family, with aunts she would describe as the 'Martha Stewarts' of their time, Miss Criss showed incredible elegance, ingenuity, skill, and a work ethic ahead of her time. She enjoyed spending time with her wonderful parents, often reflecting on her fondest childhood memories of her fishing with her father and sitting with him as he listened to the Chicago Cubs on the radio. She adored Shirley Temple and even modeled her childhood curls after the star. She would often listen to Elvis Presley, Mozart, and Columbo; and, she never turned down an opportunity to travel. Miss Criss played basketball in high school and enjoyed athletics and fitness, rollerblading into her late 60s!

She had an eye for fashion and, soon after getting married and moving to Chicago, became a seamstress on Vogue patterns to mirror her favorite fashion designers. Miss Criss was also a self-taught cook who mastered her mother's famous fried chicken and renowned baking abilities, bringing to life the countless dinner parties she would host. Between sewing and cooking, she became a passionate gardener, creating and maintaining several beautiful gardens in her home. She would become quite an expert on flowers. Miss Criss later became co-owner of an antique shop and decorating business before entering the world of academia and changing the lives of her students forever.

For over four decades, Miss Criss served the John Marshall Law School (now known as the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Law) first as a receptionist then as Administrative Assistant for Student Affairs and Executive Assistant to several Deans. She became known as "The Heart of John Marshall" and was nicknamed by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin as the "Chicago Mother."

Miss Criss facilitated the operation of nearly 50 various student organizations during her tenure at the law school. Under her supervision and direction, these organizations hosted notable events that honored leaders in the legal community, from local judges to United States Supreme Court Justices. Photos adorned her office of her with the likes of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Justice Anton Scalia. Her style and sense of etiquette were second to none. She conducted etiquette classes at the law school for decades. As a deeply religious and giving woman, she would often buy ties or shirts for students who needed these items for an interview. She always anticipated the needs of others to ensure their comfort. Miss Criss would often hold tea gatherings with her students and eventually auctioned off much of her tea collections as contributions to the law school. Her dedication was second to none, missing only three days of work in her entire 44-year tenure at the law school. It is because of her incredible legacy that the law school created a scholarship entitled the "Heart of John Marshall" in her honor, which yields thousands of dollars in donations every year from alumni to students.

She was intriguing to all who crossed her path. She was a force so dynamic and fierce, so gentle and warm.\

Miss Criss is survived by her daughter, Charlotte (Mike), her son, Brett (wife Barbara) and her two grandchildren, Stephanie (husband Craig), and Blaine (wife Abby).

Visitation Saturday, December 14, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Michalik Funeral Home, 1056 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60642. Entombment Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois.

Please omit flowers. Donations to the Heart of John Marshall Scholarship in Honor of Miss Criss Fund, Donation · University of Illinois Chicago · GiveCampus . To make a donation by check, please make the check payable to UIF or UIC Law and add the Miss Criss Fund in the memo line. Please mail the check to University of Illinois Foundation, PO Box 734500, Chicago, IL 60673-4500.

For further information please call 312-421-0936.