Marie Jennifer Ivey

Marie was born on August 8, 1948, in Gary, IN and later attended college at Michigan State University. It was during her time at MSU that she met her husband Ed and they decided to raise their family in East Lansing. She was a dance mom long before the reality show, taking her girls to dance classes pretty much daily when they were younger. And since Marie never drove, they walked to every class.

Marie was also known for her many volunteer efforts. Of note, she worked with the local public television station, WKAR, where she was part of the annual auction leadership team in charge of handwritten slates for many years. Her careful handwriting was the standard for thousands of items before digital took over and the auction was eventually discontinued. Marie was also a Girl Scout Leader and volunteer with the Capital Area Council (now consolidated into Heart of Michigan), leading her girls' troops, supporting many young girls, and filling the garage with cookies year after year.

Friends and family knew Marie to be an avid reader, crafter, and collector of vintage glass. She loved going to estate sales and auctions with Ed to search for treasures and enjoyed traveling, trying new restaurants, and eating new foods. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend.

The family is planning to celebrate Marie’s life on October 18, 2025 from 1-4 PM at Buddy’s Pub & Grill on Lake Lansing road in East Lansing. Friends and family are invited to stop in any time during the event. In lieu of flowers, Marie wished for donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which has recently been renamed Blood Cancer United.

Marie is survived by her husband of 56 years, Edward C. Ivey; her daughters, Jennifer Ivey (Jeff) and Elizabeth Penney (Chris); her grandchildren, Ian, Calamity, Lillith, Liam, and Keira; her brother, John Kowalski (Dee). Additionally, Marie is survived by an extended family in Indiana, Kentucky, and Colorado.

Marie was preceded in death by her father, John T. Kowalski; mother, Jennie J Kowalski (Napalowski); and grandson, Neill Penney.

The family thanks the nursing team on the oncology floor of Sparrow Hospital and the staff of the Herbert-Herman Cancer Center, especially Dr. Hamden's team.