Obituary of Marilyn Highhouse

Marilyn Highhouse passed away unexpectedly due to a cardiac event in her home in Honesdale Pennsylvania on the 25th of December 2023. Daughter of Catherine and Harvey Trask and sister to Robert and Richard Trask, Marilyn married James Highhouse and spent her life living and working in Honesdale and the Eastern PA region. She received her Registered Nursing License from the Scranton State Hospital, graduating valedictorian, and her bachelor's and master's of nursing from Bloomsburg University. Marilyn spent her early career in the ER at Wayne County Memorial Hospital before beginning to work at the University of Scranton as a nursing instructor. There she made major contributions to the training of other nurses and community members, especially in the realm of prevention education and case management for AIDs/HIV patients in a time when many would refuse to work with them. She helped to bring class after class of students into the workforce, teaching them to be compassionate, diligent, and knowledgeable. She is predeceased by her parents, her brother Richard Trask, and her daughter Penelope Kreider. She is survived by her husband James and brother Robert, her sister-in-laws Jane and Ann Trask, and her son and daughter-in-law Brian Highhouse and Paulette Buchholz. Her son-in-law Chris Kreider and his daughters, Cate and Nicole Kreider, also survive her. Marilyn was a compassionate caretaker to her patients, her family, her friends, and everyone she met. She loved animals, especially cats, and had a passion for baking and cooking. She was constantly collecting recipes to share with her family and guests. She was a skilled gardener who tended beautiful blooms and tasty treats annually which were a source of great pride and pleasure. She also had an appreciation for history, collecting antiques including dishes and tableware, and admiring them for their beauty and historical significance alike. There will be a funeral service held at the Bethany Presbyterian Church at 11 AM on Tuesday, January 2nd. It will be a closed casket service but guests are welcome to arrive early, at 10:30 AM, to share their respects before the service begins. She will be interred with her daughter in the cemetery adjoining the church there. In place of flowers or monetary gifts to the family, any donations to the Friends of the Poor in Scranton PA or the Dessin Animal Shelter in Honesdale PA in remembrance of Marilyn and her life's work and passions are most appreciated. Arrangements are attended by the Arthur A. Bryant Funeral Home, 1228 Main Street Honesdale, PA 18431