Marilyn Hailey Richter

Obituary: Marilyn "Mernie" Hailey Richter - Smiler Extraordinaire Among Other Things

November 1, 1936 – January 4, 2022

By Karen England. 

Marilyn Hailey was born smiling at everyone, something that would become one of the hallmarks of her remarkable 85 years along with her natural and abundant musical gifts, a lifelong knitting addiction, immense generosity and a deep faith in God, to John and Mattie Hailey in Sierra Madre, California, in 1936. Two years later, in 1938, her only sibling, a sister, Joanne, was born. Marilyn was nicknamed Mernie very early by a childhood friend, a name that stuck and would eventually become the perfect moniker. 

Mernie showed great promise as a pianist at an early age, landing a spot performing on the Young Musicians Radio Show at the age of eight. She was playing professionally by age thirteen. 
 At age sixteen, Mernie met eighteen-year-old Ernest "Ernie" Richter at church, and after four years of dating, Ernie and Mernie were married. While they were dating, she attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, and then graduated from Cal State LA, majoring in music. Shortly after they married, Ernie was drafted into the Army where he was a Chaplain's Assistant.

While Ernie was in the Army, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, Marilyn joined him there and taught music at the Killeen Elementary School and, as a civilian, played organ and piano at several Army base chapels, as well as the Field Organ for funerals performed out in the field. Two years after they married, while still in Texas, their only child, a daughter, Karen was born and weeks later Ernie was honorably discharged and the little family moved back to Sierra Madre where Ernie pursued a ministerial career by attending Fuller Theological Seminary until Marilyn became quite ill and almost died in the fall of 1966. Mernie credited the Lord with saving her life and gave testimony to his mercy for the rest of her days, both in her lifetime of church ministry through her musical work and as a lay teaching leader for Bible Study Fellowship in both Los Angeles and San Diego counties.

After Mernie spent months in the hospital and a lengthy recovery period, Ernie quit seminary to care for his still-recuperating wife, who made a full and lasting recovery, and their young daughter, and he took a job as a technical writer for Computer Sciences Corporation in Pasadena, California. In the early 1970s, Ernie was transferred to CSC’s San Diego location, and the Richters moved from Sierra Madre to Encinitas, California, where Mernie continued her career as an organist, pianist and choir director, first for Solana Beach Presbyterian Church and then for Grace Community Church of San Dieguito, from where she retired after more than 50 years of outstanding musical service to the community and the Lord.
Eventually, in his late forties, Ernie returned to seminary with his family's blessing and finally became ordained. It was then that Ernie and Mernie were finally the “ministry dream team” that they were long destined to become; He the Senior Pastor and She the music department of Grace Community Church in Encinitas, California. Countless happy couples over their lifetimes had Ernie officiate and Mernie play for their wedding ceremonies, where she smiled on their nuptials both musically and literally.
After Ernie passed away in Encinitas in 2012, Marilyn moved in with her daughter and late son-in-law in Vista, California, where she lived out the rest of her life - smiling.

She is survived by her daughter Karen England of Vista, California, and sister Joanne Westover of Mission Viejo, California.

Services yet to be determined.

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