Marnie Hillsley of Cold Spring died on May 11, 2015, after a long illness. Marnie received a BA from Montana State University and an MFA in sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University. A project manager for Silver Rail Construction, Marnie was also a prolific artist and a dedicated member of her husband’s Habitat for Artists organization, bringing community and art together.
She is survived by her mother, Nell Hillsley, her husband Simon Draper, their son Aidan, and her sisters Anne Hillsley and Ray Anderson.
A memorial service will be held at St. Philip’s Church in Garrison, on Saturday, June 13, at 1 p.m. It was Marnie’s wish that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to either Habitat for Artists through the GoFundMe campaign “Marnie Memorial – Habitat for Artists” at gofundme.com, or her Buddhist monastery, Kagyu Thubten Choling in Wappingers Falls, at palpungny.org.
Marnie Hillsley—a beautiful soul that left us too early. A great mother, wife, friend, high school soccer enthusiast, jewelry maker, artist, water lover, live music fan and so much more. You will be missed Marnie. My heart goes out to Simon and Aidan.
When you met Marnie, you felt her heart, her smile and her attentiveness. We were all lucky to have her! She reminded us all to pay attention to those around us. Hugs to Simon, Aidan and her family and friends that supported her on her journey!! oxo
Dear Simon, Aiden, and all of Marnie’s family and friends — I am so deeply sorry for the loss of such a truly special person. Marnie’s smile and laughter were contagious. You couldn’t be around her and not come away feeling happier than you had been. I loved singing with her in choir and so enjoyed it when she got the giggles at rehearsal! I hope that fond memories of Marnie will bring comfort to you all. A lovely woman who will be sorely missed.