Hays, Marilyn M., age 77 of Brighton, formerly of Cambridge and Wellesley Hills died in Hospice after a courageous battle with cancer on Saturday August 22, 2011. She was born February 12 1934 in Los Angeles, CA, moved to Wellesley Hills with her family in 1938 with her father taking the position of Director of Agencies nationwide for the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company. She attended Dana Hall School in Wellesley, followed by Wheaton College and Pratt Institute in New York City, where she became devoted to her art of painting as both a vocation as well as advocation. After being married in 1956 to Peter Betts, she became a lifetime devoted mother to her two sons, Eric P. Betts and Jonathan Hays Betts, born on the same day one year apart January 7, 1958 and 1959. She moved to Cambridge in 1969 and taught at the New England School of Art and design for some years until continuing her education at Tufts University where she received her Masters in Art History. During this period into the 1970's she maintained an art gallery on Rocky Neck, Gloucester, the oldest art colony in the country where she had many good friends who were also artists with galleries. For the past 25 years she taught in the Cambridge Public School System, teaching children until the age of 75. It must be mentioned that she was very devoted to her church for the last 35 years of her life and became an Iconographer, having produced many high quality Icons for her church and others in various parts of the country. She leaves her loving brother William Eugene Hays, Jr. and his three daughters, Lori, Elyse and Marly and her son Levi. She will be missed by her many loving friends, both in her church and outside the church realm of life. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name may be made to Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church 62 Harvard Ave. Boston MA. 02134