Mary Ann Bednarski, age 78, of Clinton Township, passed away on December 19, 2010. Mary Ann retired from her own business, H.R.C., after 40 years. Loving mother of Ted (Joanne), Debbie (Michael) Buffa, Phil (Karrie), Betty (Nick) LoBiondo and Jeannette (Ken) Minne. Dear sister of Christine Accomando. Loving grandmother of Bradley, Cassie, Wesley, Tom, Danny, Alex, Ashley, Stephen, Stacy, Brendan, Dominic, Anna Bella, Erin and Nick. Dear aunt of many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her children, Gary and Mary Ann. Visitation Tuesday, 5-8:00p.m. and Wednesday, 2-8:00p.m. with a 7:00p.m. Rosary at Resurrection Funeral Home, 40800 Hayes Road, Clinton Township, Michigan. Funeral Mass Thursday, 11 a.m. Instate, 10:30 a.m. at St. Michael Catholic Community, 40501 Hayes Road, Sterling Heights, Michigan.
To Mrs. Mary Ann Bednarski, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, she was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around her, she seemed to be eternally happy, and she willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life she touched. For Mary, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, she could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Mary really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.
Her parents were John and Ruth Stoinski. Mary was raised in Wisconsin and Michigan. Even as a child, Mary had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around her. She was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. She couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. She was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, she succeeded in entertaining her entire family.
Always a good playmate, Mary was easygoing and fun loving. She managed to lighten the mood wherever she was, even during family squabbles. She seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Mary managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Mary was raised with one. She had a sister, Christine.
All of Mary's playful good humor carried over into her childhood. She was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed her to be constantly on the go. As a result, Mary experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited her very well. She took part in bike riding and broke her elbows while riding a bike as a child. She was a member of church organizations. In her spare time she liked to read books, tap dance, and ride her bike. Mary's memorable achievements included selling candy to help support the family.
Ask anyone who knew her from school and they would tell you that Mary was a class “cut-up.” She didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Mary simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of her friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Mary, grades may not have been the most important thing to her, but she really did enjoy her school experience. Since experience was Mary's best teacher. She enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers.
Mary relished the task of putting her imagination to work in class. She was able to discover new and different ways of answering problems and creating unusual and different solutions. Mary attended the Dale Carnegie school for Public Speaking.
Perhaps the reason Mary related so well to children was the fact that she never really completely grew up herself. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped her in raising her own children. Mary was blessed with six, three sons, Ted, Gary, and Phil; and three daughters, Debbie, Jeannette, and Mary Ann. They were also blessed with fourteen grandchildren, Brad, Tom, Cassie, Dan, Wesley, Alex, Ashley, Stephen, Stacey, Brenden, Dominic, Anna Bella, Erin, and Nick. Mary had the ability to focus her attention on the present moment. If she was spending time with the kids, that’s where all of her attention was directed. Mary's compassionate side prevented her from being a strict disciplinarian, and she could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. She could spend hours entertaining them with fun and creative play. In fact, Mary had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.
At work, as in life, Mary was a real “people person. ” she had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and her enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Mary liked to see herself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Mary was an adaptable realist, using her common sense and trusting her experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Mary's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around her to see Mary as an excellent problem solver. She owned her own business for 40 years. She took the bus everywhere, did not learn to drive until age 40. Mary worked as a banker, at Hughes & Hatcher, loved the railroad, her Dad, then worked at GTR.
Mary enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An “arts and crafts” type, Mary liked creating and making things. Her favorite pursuits were baking polish tradition of sledga. Mary liked to read, shop, ice cream, coca cola, traveling, eating out and hotel room service. Mary was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.
Mary felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if she wasn’t the best, Mary loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Mary relished the opportunities where she could make an impact, and she would often push herself to play above her abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Mary never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. Recreational sports included train rides, boat rides, and being with her family. Mary was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were old movies, cooking shows, health magazines and cook books.
Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Mary recognized that her faith was important to her throughout her life. Mary was a religious woman, taught us well. We all went to Catholic Schools, Ted and Gary went to Notre Dame High School.
Living life in the fast lane suited Mary just fine. It is no surprise that she loved to travel and to visit new and different places. She was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. She was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included travel to Frankenmuth, Alaska, Jamaica, and lived in North Carolina for a short time before illness was discovered.
Mary was a lover of animals and cherished her pets, enjoying them almost as much as she enjoyed being around other people. One of Mary's favorites was Charlie, her Cat.
Mary lived for one week after the discovery of lung cancer. She is survived by her five children and fourteen grandchildren. Services were held at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Clinton Township on December 23, 2010. Mary was laid to rest in Resurrection Cemetery.
Mary brought joy to all of those around her. She never had a mean bone in her body. She loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. She loved to share her energy, wit, and her zest for all of her activities with her friends and family. Mrs. Mary Ann Bednarski lived life to its fullest and made everyone around her happier just for knowing her. She will be remembered with a smile.
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