Mary Ann Louise Greig

Mary Ann Louise Greig died on November 16th at Brookhaven Manor in Ann Arbor . She was born on May 30th 1923 in Highland Park , Michigan . She was the youngest daughter of Haroutin Shamlian and Marguarite Seraderian. Mary Ann was brought up by her three beloved older sisters, Meline, Katherine, Alice , and her father after her mother died when she was four years old.

At a very young age Mary Ann began spending countless hours at the local tennis court where she would convince people to let her borrow their racquet so she could play. Eventually someone gave her their old racquet and that began a life long love and passion for the game of tennis. She was one of the few female and left handed players of her time. She played competitive tournament tennis and on many USTA teams for over 60 years. She won numerous awards and trophies including the state singles championship and the mixed double championship.

In addition to tennis she was an avid sports fan who loved all athletic competition and particularly the University of Michigan athletic program and her mighty Michigan Wolverines. She shared her passion for sports with her husband Charles Greig, who she married on Nov, 24th 1949 . She knew all the facts about all the teams and her excitement and delight with athletic competition was known to all who knew her.

Mary Ann received her Bachelor’s in Occupational Therapy from Eastern Michigan University and her Masters in Elementary Education from the University of Michigan . She was an elementary teacher for 30 years in the Warren Van Dyke School District and was one of the pioneers of the open classroom style of teaching.

She loved to entertain and was known to be able to have a group of people stop by unexpectedly and have enough dinner to feed them all. Her parties were legendary and the favorite part of the evening would be when she would sing. She played bridge for many years with her dear friends Bob and Glennice Smiley. Their evenings were spent full of fun and laughter. She loved all animals and in particular her darling kitty cats or beastie babes as she would call them. Her final kitty cat, Desdemona was her constant companion in her later life.

She was proud of her Armenian heritage and cherished her three sisters. She grew up with the bare necessities and so she was delighted in her adult life to be able to give to those she loved. She was extremely generous and loved to take people out to dinner or lunch which always included a Manhattan with a twist, not a cherry, and dessert.

She was a proud mama and grandma. Her children and grandchildren referred to her as the smartest person they knew and she challenged them to pursue excellence in their lives and activities. She shaped all of them with her forcible nature and strong support. They delighted in the opportunity to have their friends meet their amazing mother and grandma. She was never one to mince her words and was honest to a fault. She was inquisitive and wanted to know everything about everybody. You always knew how she felt whether you wanted to or not and underneath it all was her belief that you could do and be anything you wanted to be.

Her final years were spent as a resident of Brookhaven Manor where she was loved and tenderly cared for by all the staff. In particular she received incredible care and love from Leslie Wilson and Latoya Clark. She made everyone laugh with her humor, faces and charming phrases of endearment.

Mary Ann is survived by her daughter Laurie Atwood of Ann Arbor , her son Cameron Greig (Sandee) of Westland , her sister Katherine Peters, and her five grandchildren, Cameron, Morgan, Jason ( Elizabeth ) Heather and Smith, her great grandson Nicholas Atwood, and her nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Charles, her sisters Meline and Alice, and her son in law Smith Atwood III. Her impact on her students friends, and extended family was far reaching. Mary Ann will be missed dearly by all who were lucky to be part of her life.

There will be a memorial to celebrate Mary Ann’s life on Saturday Dec. 28th at 11:00 at the Polo Fields Country Club at 5200 Polo Fields Drive in Ann Arbor . Memorials may be made to the Friends of Children Creative Foundation, 1600 Pauline Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI 48103