Marilyn Van Saun, 87, of Upper Ridge Road in Bridgton, died Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014, in Falmouth.

She was born in Gardner, Mass., the only child of Gladys Maybelle Brothers and Charles Dawley Towle. She was educated in local schools and joined the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps in 1944.

She graduated from Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing in 1948. In November of that year, she married Stuart Van Saun and began a 30-year career as an operating room nurse

Marilyn moved to Maine in 1962, and began working for Dr. Clement Hiebert, assisting him in open heart and thoracic surgery for 22 years. She retired at age 56 and spent her remaining years enjoying her three Morgan horses and multiple dogs and cats.

An avid rider, she rode almost daily, summer and winter, well into her 80s.

She was a longtime board member, volunteer, and foster parent for Harvest Hills Animal Shelter. She also served for more than 25 years on the board of the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals.

She is predeceased by her banker husband, Stuart Van Saun.

All services will be private. Burial will take place in Westminster, Mass. Arrangements are by Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland. Online condolences may be expressed at www.ctcrawford.com