Age 85. Mary died at home surrounded by her family and loved ones. She is the beloved Bride of Kenneth G. Marshall for 65 years. Loving mother of Dr. Susan (Patrick) Hayes, Michael (Mercedes), Sandra "Sam" and Steve Marshall, Nancy (the late Roy) Williams, John Marshall, and Mary Kay (Matt) Stelling. Cherished grandmother of Donovan Eleo, Kenneth Keala and Elliott Kapono (Amy) Marshall, Laura Gillette, Thomas A. and Julia M. Williams, Jonathon and Melanie Stelling. Also survived by many relatives and friends.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday 11 AM (in state 10:30 AM) at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, 23815 Power Rd., Farmington, MI 48336. Officiating will be Rev. Mark S. Brauer, Pastor.

Mary's family will receive friends for visitation on Friday from 2-8 PM at Thayer-Rock Funeral Home in Downtown Farmington.

Memorial contributions may be made to Angela Hospice, 14100 Newburgh Rd., Livonia, MI 48154-5010.

Mary had a full and blessed life. She grew up on the east side of Detroit , her parish was Our Lady of Good Counsel and she graduated from Dominican High School . Her doting parents were Arthur and Veronica Karey, both died before she married. She had three loving brothers, Msgr Arthur M. Karey, Robert "Bob" Karey and Carl Karey, who predeceased her.

Mary was working at a Sander's Ice Cream Parlor when Ken came in for a sundae and it was love at first sight. Ken worked at the family's business, A J Marshall Company, and after he returned from his Army duty, Mary and Ken married in August 1950. Their Just Married sign read...Watch Detroit Grow... and did it; they had 7 children and 8 grandchildren.

Mary worked at Kelly's Office and quit working when she married Ken and started her family. She was a very creative and talented seamstress that made her own wedding dress and veil. She also made gowns and hats for her friends. She sewed most of her clothes, her children's and even grandchildren's clothes, drapes and reupholstered furniture.

Mary had an insatiable appetite to learn something new each day. She would learn a new word a day, enjoyed challenging cross word puzzles, had a voracious appetite for reading and always had a book in her hand.

She was very involved in her parish and in her children's school and church, O.L.G.C. She was the President of the PTA, sewed for the nuns and did the bookkeeping for the parish. They lived in the family home until 1977, when they built their Farmington Hills home.

Mary was an irreplaceable grandmother who adored her grandchildren. Many times when you would go over her house, you could not find her as she was in a tent she prepared with the grandchildren under the dining room table or other rooms in the house. She always got down on her knees playing alongside her grandchildren, reading them books, blowing bubbles made by her hands, making their favorite foods. Whenever a grandchild became ill, they always recovered better if they could sleep on grandma's magic couch. Mary was very spiritual, loving and known for her comforting ways. She was very knowledgeable about food, spices, medicines, the human body, physical therapy and healing the soul as well. She was delightfully eccentric.

She was also an avid Gardner who loved to be outdoors nurturing plants and working in her flower gardens. She could make the most difficult plants grow and thrive and was always taking seeds from a plant or flower so she could grow her own. She enjoyed animals, especially outdoor birds, and watching the "wildlife" in her yard, (a deer family, a red fox, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks and numerous species of birds).

Mary enjoyed fixing things and was also mechanically inclined. She liked to figure out how things worked. Always curious, always learning and fixing something. She was generally fascinated about life, people, history, world events and life in general.

She enjoyed living each day and believed in having a positive attitude. Mary had great wisdom that many benefitted from over the years. She will be missed, but emulated so her spirit will remain alive and not diminish.

A special Thank You to the Angela Hospice team of caregivers and volunteers, that ensured her remaining few months were filled with dignity, respect, attentive and compassionate support and excellent medical care.