Lifetime activist, leader, and longtime Planned Parenthood volunteer, Marlene Kayser, passed away at the age of 79. Marlene was a key and treasured member of the Planned Parenthood family for decades, serving for nearly thirty years on the boards of directors for Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. She dedicated her life to human rights and making the world a better place for women and girls.
She forever changed the political landscape of Minnesota by encouraging, supporting, and promoting the work of countless candidates for public office. Through her final days, she was volunteering and rallying support for progressive candidates and causes.
“Volunteer leaders are the lifeblood of Planned Parenthood and our movement, and no one understood this better than Marlene. For each of us who had the gift of learning from her and working beside her, she was a generous mentor and steadfast friend. Marlene was an extraordinarily talented and inspiring leader who knew instinctively how to motivate people to support progressive candidates and worthy causes. She was a tireless advocate for women and girls across the globe. The world is a kinder and more just place because of her courage and dedication."
– Planned Parenthood Action Fund President, Sarah Stoesz
Marlene was presented with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Advocate Award in 2010 and will be posthumously honored with the Planned Parenthood Courage Award at the Celebrate Planned Parenthood gala on October 29, 2018 for her work as a powerful, lifelong champion of social, civil, human, and reproductive rights.
We will miss her steady determination, surpassing wisdom and humor, her boundless energy, and most of all, her passion to make the world a better place.
Tags: minnesota