Marilyn Ann Perry Pauley, 86, passed away in the early morning hours of Sunday, October 23, 2022, in Phoenix, AZ from injuries sustained in a fire at her home and dog kennel the previous day.
Marilyn Ann Perry was born on October 4, 1936 in Lawrence, KS, and was the only child of Lewis Reed Perry and Clea (Gard) Perry. Marilyn was a champion three-gait, five-gait and Appaloosa rider in her teens, and attended both Lindenwood College and the University of Kansas, graduating with a degree in business and a minor in music. She married Edward Evans Pauley on August 10, 1957, and their son Evan Reed Pauley was born in the spring of 1959. Her husband Edward passed away suddenly in the spring of 1989.
Marilyn began showing toy poodles and miniature poodles in 1965 in Orange, California. She decided to begin breeding her own line of show poodles in subsequent years, and built one of the most well-known and successful bloodlines of high-quality toy poodles in the world. After moving to the southeast Michigan area in 1979, she continued further showing and breeding of championship dogs by establishing Evanz Kennels, garnering over 650 championships in five countries and multiple breeds with a focus on toy poodles. Upon choosing to move to the Phoenix area in 1989, Marilyn also was a registered American Kennel Club judge for the Toy and Non-Sporting groups, was a licensed Maricopa County kennel for over 24 years, and producing quality purebred show dogs without genetic disorders was her lifelong vocation until her passing.
Marilyn is survived by her only child, her son Evan Reed Pauley of Liberty, MO.
Graveside services will be 2:00 P.M. Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at Mount Hope Cemetery and Mausoleum in Topeka, KS, next to her husband Edward.