Mary G. Wilding

Mary Geraldine Wilding was born to Edmund L. and Winifred Mullally Battersby on December 16, 1928 at Hotel Dieu in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She grew up with four brothers: Chris, Brian, Eddie and Mike and two sisters: Eileen (O'Brien) and Winifred (Beltowski). As a child, her family moved to Highland Park where she attended St. Benedict's School. She proudly became a nationalized citizen of the United States in 1939. Edmund worked for the Detroit Terminal railroad as a detective and got Mary a job as a switchboard operator. That was where she met Doug, the love of her life and eventually married him. Douglas and Mary were wed at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Highland Park in 1953 and would remain together for almost fifty seven years until Doug's death in 2010. In 1954, they had their first child and Mary became a stay at home wife and mother as their family grew to five children, three girls: Suzi (Gordon), Colleen (Smits) and Sheila (Pittman) and two boys: Mark and Gerard Wilding. Mary had a passion for taking care of her husband and children and joined St. Mary's Catholic Community where their children attended school. She loved attending family gatherings and reunions and taking family vacations. Her family traveled to Florida every year at Easter time to visit with her husband's parents and went camping to Otsego Lake near Gaylord. She was an avid knitter, loved to sew and did crossword puzzles. She never learned to drive but got around just fine on the city bus system. When her father died, she and her siblings took turns caring for their mother. She would take the bus twice a week to spend time with her. Mary loved going to lunch with her sisters and talked to them regularly on the phone. When Doug retired from the City of Royal Oak, they traveled by car to many US destinations, still going to Florida regularly to visit Mary's brother Brian. At 62, Doug was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and Mary became his full time caregiver and lovingly cared for him. She once said she would have loved to pursue a nursing career in her youth. It was easy to see she would have been a wonderful nurse by the way she cared for her husband. She never left his side, supporting and loving him to the end. Mary and Doug were the perfect couple, so it was no surprise that after his death she developed dementia and slowly escaped our world. She was always a pleasant, happy and faithful person and took every challenge in stride. When she broke her hip last July, she began her slow decline and finally on April 19th joined her husband and family in Heaven. She often said she missed her husband and family very much but was in no hurry to die. She is survived by her five children: Suzi (Bill) Gordon, Mark (Charlene) Wilding, Gerard (Joanie) Wilding, Colleen (Eric) Smits, and Sheila (Bill) Pittman; eighteen grandchildren: (Suzi) Teresa Feathers, Barbara and Angela Gordon; (Mark) Markanque, Ryan and Courtenay Wilding; (Gerard) Matthew, Marc, Michelle Motyl; (Colleen) Diana, Eddie and Caty Smits, DeDe Balderson and Ethan Smits; and (Sheila) Jordan, Alex, Travis and Erika Pittman and fifteen great grandchildren and one future great grandchild. She was blessed to have many wonderful nieces and nephews who visited and sent her cards regularly. Visitation Friday 2-8 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. Rosary at the Wm. Sullivan and Son Funeral Home, 705 W 11 Mile Road (4 blocks E of Woodward), Royal Oak. Instate Saturday 10:30 a.m. until the time of Mass 11:00 a.m. at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, Madison Heights. Memorials to the St. Patrick's Senior Center, 58 Parsons St., Detroit, MI 48201 are appreciated. Share your memories at www.sullivanfuneraldirectors.com.

Mary G. Wilding

December 16, 1928 - April 19, 2017