Mary Ellen Rettig

Mary Ellen Rettig passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday morning February 15, 2023 at the age of 74 after a brief time of hospice support. COVID-19 hit Mary Ellen in early November 2020, months before the first vaccine was available. Her COVID symptoms cleared up by Thanksgiving, but she was never the same. The fatigue, weakness, disrupted sleep patterns, brain fog, and lack of endurance sapped some of her zest and vitality for life. She still laughed, smiled, and embraced the joys of life, but with a somewhat reduced intensity. We are convinced it was "long COVID", but there really is no definitive test for that. Between Christmas and New Year's Eve 2022, Mary Ellen visited the ER and ended up having some common bile duct stones removed. The pain abated, but she was still jaundiced when they released her home. She would be back in the hospital from January 11th to February 8th. She chose hospice on February 5th. On February 8th she came home to complete her hospice journey. Sweet Mary Ellen is lovingly survived by her husband of 54 years, Bruce; sons Bruce W. Rettig Jr and Stephen M. Rettig; grandson Sean H. Rettig; sister-in-law Marcia C. (Timothy W.) Carmichael; brother-in-law Donald Wayne (Amie L.) Rettig; and many cousins, other relatives, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother-in-law Charles N. (Carol A.) Rettig. Born to Helen and Joe Grady in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, most of her school years were spent in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. She married the love of her life, Bruce W. Rettig, on August 3rd, 1968, at St Monica's Roman Catholic Church in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. The young married couple moved to State College, Pennsylvania, while Bruce finished his engineering education at Penn State. Mary Ellen and Bruce moved to the greater Detroit Michigan area in the fall of 1969 so that Bruce could pursue a career in the automotive industry. Mary Ellen appreciated the perks of the automotive industry, but especially liked her Chrysler 300 and her long string of minivans. A graduate of the Adams School of Business, Mary Ellen was initially employed as a secretary. She also worked as a dental office manager, and eventually a nail technician (manicurist). The nail position gave her the opportunity to engage with many people and talk, talk, talk. When her parents were confined to a nursing home, Mary Ellen spent so much time there that they asked her to work there. She was part of the recreation department, bringing fun, games, and joy to many of the residents. Mary Ellen was surprisingly broad, well-read, and well versed on many topics. She subscribed to NY Times, Vanity Fair, New Yorker, the Economist, and National Geographic, among others. She has an unbelievable collection of books. Her TV habits ranged from Billions, West World, and Game of Thrones, to Sunday Morning, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Bill Maher, and many documentaries. Always bubbly, full of life, a great laugh, socially engaged. Mary Ellen loved all kinds of group activities, dancing, live music, and an active bar & restaurant scene. She had many dogs and other pets along the way to share the love with. She loved travel, both to exciting new places as well as annual repeat visits to old favorites. The Grand Canyon, Hawaii, Alaska, Caribbean, Florida Keys, Stevensville, Traverse City, Petoskey, the U.P., Ireland, Costa Rica, Tahiti, etc. By cruise ship, airplane, car, or motorhome; she was up for it all. Mary Ellen fully embraced the computer age. She was an avid computer gamer and active participant on Reddit. The family would like to express their appreciation to the doctors and staff of William Beaumont hospitals as well as the compassionate support of Heart to Heart Hospice who helped us through this difficult time. Private inurnment will take place at Christian Memorial Gardens West. To honor Mary Ellen, we will be holding a "Celebration of a Life Well Lived" luncheon at "The Brewery" restaurant at 1:00 PM on Thursday, March 23rd. The Brewery is located at 39950 Hayes Road, Clinton Township, MI 48038. She brought joy and love everywhere she went. In lieu of flowers, the family recommends donations to one of these charities in memory of Mary Ellen Rettig: · Leader Dogs for the Blind - P.O. Box 5000, Rochester, MI 48308 or at · The American Diabetes Association -P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023 or at

Mary Ellen Rettig

March 12, 1948 - February 15, 2023