Emily J. Marlin

Emily Jane Marlin, 89, of Lancaster, passed away peacefully at the Lebanon VA Medical Center on Monday, October 21, 2024. 

Born in Abington, PA, and raised in Prospectville, PA, she was the daughter of the late Orville and Emily (Worthington) Marlin. 

Emily was an accomplished social worker, author, military veteran and therapist, who ran her own practice in Manhattan for more than 20 years. She was a 1953 graduate of Wissahickon High School, where she was later inducted into the district's Hall of Fame. Upon graduation, she enlisted in the Women's Army Corps and was stationed in Okinawa during the Korean War. She graduated from Temple University and received her Master's in Social Work from Hunter College. 

Emily touched the lives of many throughout her career and after. Following college, she worked for the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, helping families to escape challenging living conditions and relocate to affordable housing. She later worked as a legal secretary for the U.S. Attorney's Office-Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the New York Civil Liberties Union. In the 1960s, she moved to Jackson, Mississippi, to support the civil rights movement as a volunteer for the ACLU's Lawyers Constitutional Defense Committee, while also chronicling the experience for the University of California, Berkeley. 

As a psychiatric social worker, Emily helped patients with addiction recovery at Harlem Hospital and Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in NYC, and later worked with nursing home residents in New Jersey. After starting her practice, she authored 4 books and was elected multiple times as president of the New York Chapter of the American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy. 

Emily was a longtime resident of East Meredith, NY, where she was active in the historical society and animal shelter. One of her proudest achievements was founding the Lilac Lane Pet Memorial Park in Delhi, NY, where local residents donated lilac trees in remembrance of their beloved pets. In retirement, Emily volunteered for the Delaware County Office for the Aging, providing in-home support for homebound residents across the county. 

Emily was known for her warm, caring and kind-hearted nature. She was always eager to listen and provide support to friends, family and patients. A dog lover and self-described anglophile, she loved British TV, movies and mystery novels, and traveled numerous times to Europe, often returning to Scotland, where she felt a deep spiritual connection. Above all, she cherished the company of others, especially at her longtime homes in East Meredith and Lancaster, where the door was always open to friends and family. 

Emily is survived by her brother Michael of Mount Joy, PA, sister Mary Brickman of Cape Coral, FL, several nieces, nephews and many loving friends. She was preceded in death by a brother, Peter, of Granite City, IL. A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, Nov 2, from 1-2pm at The 521 Club, 2400 Butter Rd, Lancaster, PA. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Emily's memory may be sent to the Heart of the Catskills Humane Society, 46610 State Hwy 10, Delhi, NY.