Marion Alma (Young) Kolp, age 90, passed away peacefully at home on November 20, 2024. Born December 27, 1933 and raised in Detroit, Michigan, she was the eldest child and only daughter of Anthony Young and Alma (Parks) Young. She attended Assumption Grotto for grade school and went on to graduate from Dominican High School.
Marion’s first job was at Michigan Bell. When she was 20, her family moved to New York, and she chose to stay in Detroit, moving into an apartment above her Aunt and Uncle’s home.
Marion volunteered with the USO and met her husband, Gerald “Jerry” Kolp, at a dance on New Year’s Eve. Shortly after they met, Jerry was deployed by the Air Force to serve in Germany, but they never lost the feeling that they found “the one.” They wrote letters until his return where he immediately called her to see her again. They were married at Assumption Grotto November 9, 1957, where her parents were married and later her daughter would be married there too.
They bought their first home in Fraser, Michigan where they raised their 4 children. Along with being a full time homemaker, she often worked at her husband’s State Farm Insurance Agency, also in Fraser. She later went on to work at the Macomb Intermediate School District as a secretary for 17 years. For a period of time, she also taught reading to adults who were learning English.
Marion was everyone’s dream jeopardy partner. The smartest, sharpest woman they knew. She was a life-long learner who always remained curious. She continuously embraced the latest technology and nothing deterred her from her quest for knowledge. Marion never met a person that wasn’t immediately family to her. Although she only had 4 kids, she was “mom” or “grandma” to many. She had an open-door policy for everyone in her life and was always willing to listen or share her words of wisdom with anyone that needed it…and maybe offer them a sweet treat because she was probably craving it herself.
Marion loved playing cards with her friends and always looked forward to her faithful Saturday lunches with her son, Matt. It also brought her great joy to reintroduce her eldest son to classic movies when Jeff and Carol visited for popcorn and movie nights.
Her greatest love was travel. She was inquisitive and always included educational experiences for family and friends. When her kids were younger, Marion and Jerry bought a camper to take their kids all over the United States. They often found themselves in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and ultimately decided to buy a condo so the growing family could all vacation there together. Marion and Jerry were blessed with the ability to travel the world. Some of her favorite trips abroad included taking her grandchildren on 2 separate occasions to England, exploring Ireland and the Mediterranean with her son Brian, and most recently visiting Italy with her daughter Julie, still learning and venturing through the Colosseum at 83 years old.
She is survived by her 4 children, Jeffrey (Carol) Kolp, Brian (Annie) Kolp, Matthew Kolp, and Julie (Joseph) Manetta as well as her 3 grandchildren, Leah (Bryan) Coscia, Cassidy Manetta, and Benjamin Manetta, and 2 great grandchildren, Logan and Caleb. She was predeceased by her husband, Gerald Kolp, her brothers, Donald Young and Allen Young, her granddaughter, Crystal Kolp, and her daughter-in-law Sandi (Saunders) Kolp.
There will be a private family service at Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton Township where Marion will be placed to rest next to her husband. Her request was to not have a formal funeral, but instead a celebration of her life or what she would call “a party.” on January 18, 2025 from 12:30-4PM Da Francesco's Ristorante & Bar, 49521 Van Dyke Ave. Shelby Twp, MI 48317.
