Maria was born July 23, 1930 in Detroit. While the demands of her father, Galdino Ballerini’s, nationally renown plaster contracting business, required the family to travel during much of her very early years, she grew up in Grosse Pointe Park and was a lifelong parishioner of St. Clare of Montefalco Church. The same church her father help fund, build and plaster when she was a child. She went on to graduate from Grosse Pointe High - a place she often bragged to her children, she could see from her bedroom window as a child in her family home on Whittier Road, before all the houses got in the way!. After graduating from The High, Maria first attend Nazareth College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She went on to complete her undergraduate studies in 1951 from Michigan State University; earning her Bachelors degree in English with Minors in Spanish and Fine Arts. After obtaining her teaching credentials, she got her first job in the then rural Keego Harbor, Michigan School System, where she shared a basement apartment with another rookie teacher. Her first year was supposed to be a “part-time” position, but it seemed more like she was the entire English Department. Maria served not only as a freshman and junior English teacher but also as the Faculty Advisor for the school paper and the Drama Department. She was even called into service by the Language Department when the Spanish teacher went on maternity leave that winter. A short time later the opportunity presented itself for her dream job back at her alma mater, Grosse Pointe High, teaching Spanish. Maria loved teaching and working with students. So much so that her next step was to find the time to attend the University of Michigan, where she earned her Masters Degree in Counseling and Guidance. She enjoyed a long teaching career both in Michigan and Florida.
Maria enjoyed traveling, especially her many trips to her parent’s native Italy. She was even daring enough to take her then pre-teen sons on a summer long adventure there to explore their roots and see the farmhouse birthplaces of her parents. But Italy wasn’t her only destination. Years later there were the endless weekend ski-trips to Northern Michigan and other snowy winter locales with her youngest son, JB, as he explored his potential as a young competitive skier. JB was too young to drive but always supportive of all her sons’ endeavors, Maria drove thousands of miles to get him to races; often through blizzard conditions and she was particularly proud of the fact that they never missed a meet.
Maria had many interests but one of her great passions was cooking; most of which was learned from her late mother, Lucia Testa Ballerini. Maria enjoyed spending countless hours in her kitchens baking, stewing, sautéing, simmering, preserving, boiling, broiling the most amazing creations. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners; soups, salads, pasta, pizza, entrees, desserts – you name it, Maria had a secret homemade recipe and her sons, family and friends loved them all.
Maria really knew how to throw a party. She opened her home for numerous social, charitable and political efforts over the years. If Maria was having an event you wanted to be there because it was sure to be fun and interesting. Perhaps the most special invite of all of these was her annual New Years Eve Mass, when her closest family and friends were invited to an early evening mass on December 31st at the family home, as a celebration of her faith and to ring out the old year while praying for good things to come. This tradition went on quietly for decades.
Maria also loved giving back to the community and parish she grew up in. She volunteered her time, talents and treasury to a myriad of charities in the Metro Detroit area. She was active in the League of Catholic Women, Michigan Opera Theatre, Orchestra Hall, Detroit Institute of Arts, St. Clare Archconfraternity to name but a few. Maria was especially proud of her tenure as president and the improvements she brought to the (Ascension) St. John Hospital Fontbonne Auxiliary and her time on the St. John Hospital Board of Trustees.
However, if you ever spoke to Maria, no doubt she would have told you her greatest achievement and joy was raising her four sons. She is predeceased by her eldest son, Mark III (Claudia), and survived by Dean, Richard (Dennis) and J.B. She is also survived by four grandchildren, Kiera, Dante, Micheal and Andrew (Asante’). Also preceded in death and greeted at heaven’s gate by her granddaughter, Claire. She was also blessed with three great grandchildren, Mienna, Ayla and Gabriel as well as countless friends and admirers.
A celebration of Maria’s life will take place on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. Visitation will be at St. Clare of Montefalco Church at 1401 Whittier Road, Grosse Pointe Park at 9:30 a.m. with the service starting at 10:30 a.m. Interment will take place immediately following the service at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery at 25800 W. Ten Mile Road, Southfield, Michigan.
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