Mary Lou Wholihan

Mary Louise “Mary Lou” Wholihan (nee Reyes) passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 14, 2022, at the age of 90. Mary Lou was born in Detroit on September 5, 1931, to Habib and Mary (Stevens) Reyes.

She was the youngest of 8 surviving children. Mary Lou attended St. Catherine Elementary and High School in Detroit where she had many fond memories and lifelong friends. After graduating from high school, she went to work for Fontana Brothers as a secretary where her pleasant telephone voice and demeanor caught the attention of Henry C. Wholihan. That first impression led to a courtship, engagement, marriage, two children, and 44 years of marriage until Hank’s death in 2003. Mary Lou and Hank enjoyed travelling, theater, restaurants, live musical shows, and spending time with their family. Mary Lou was a homemaker for most of her children’s lives. As they grew older, she temporarily joined the work force as a bookkeeper at Barnes and Noble on the campus of Wayne State University. That temporary job turned into a twenty-year career. She retired when her first grandchild was born to spend time with him and subsequent grandchildren. Mary Lou’s family was her pride and joy. She deeply loved her children and grandchildren. Mary Lou was full of faith, optimism, love, and a positive attitude. She taught her children to do the right thing and when in doubt to “say a little prayer.” She was always there for her children, whether it was a ride to the park or a friend’s house, going on a field trip, or just listening. She loved to laugh, smile, and sing. Feeling welcomed, loved, and cherished by her came naturally as she truly cared for everyone. Her “just a little somethings” were always a treat and given with love.

Mary Lou was a parishioner of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church for 59 years. She was a member of the Rosary Altar Society and the funeral choir. She had many faithful friends at Star and enjoyed going to morning mass and breakfast thereafter.

Mary Lou was predeceased by her beloved husband, Hank, parents, siblings Caroline, Joseph (Bernice), Albert, Cecelia (Albert) Ellis, Elizabeth, and Frederick Reyes. She is survived by and will be dearly missed by her children, Judith (Stephen) Armbruster and Gerard (Laura) Wholihan, grandchildren, Ryan, Erin, and Kyle Armbruster and Matthew, Sarah, and Michael Wholihan. She is also survived by her loving brother, Peter Reyes, who was her constant companion and champion these last few years, sisters-in-law Helen Reyes, Kathleen (Donald) Curtis, many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and friends.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at A.H. Peters Funeral Home in Grosse Pointe Woods from 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm with the rosary being said at 7:00 pm. A funeral mass will be held Thursday, April 21, 2022, at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Grosse Pointe Woods, 9:30 am in state, mass at 10:00 am. The mass will be streamed live at www.olsos.org. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan.

The family is forever grateful to the staff at Sunrise Assisted Living on Mack Ave. in Grosse Pointe Woods for the kind, caring, and compassionate care they provided to Mary Lou.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Mary Lou can be made to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen https://www.cskdetroit.org/more-than-about-food/ or Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic School https://starschoolgrossepointe.org/about-us.