Mary Esther Stander

Mary Esther Stander, a resident of Grosse Pointe Woods, passed away on Saturday, August 12 at the age of 76. Mary was the beloved wife of David Stander for 55 years and business partner for 30 years. They first met in 1961 at a ski dance at the United Dairy Workers Hall and were married in 1962. Mary possessed many talents, including dancing and playing the piano. Her husband has fond memories of her playing "Clair de Lune" and other selections on a century-old piano, which was a gift from her instructor. Few knew of Marys talents, however, because of her incredible sense of humility. She never bragged about herself or desired the spotlight. Mary and David co-owned Stander Research Associatesa company that provides new product planning and strategic marketing research for everything from food and healthcare to car clinics (which Mary enjoyed most). During her involvement in the company, she showed great generosity and unselfishness to her colleagues and provided unwavering support to her husband business partner, David. At home, Mary was known as being an outstanding cook who took pride in serving her family a special holiday meal, such as Thanksgiving Dinner. Some of her favorite specialties include a strawberry sheet cake, brownies and a mouth-watering turkey gravy. Mary was a dog lover, having cared for one poodle and four Bichon Frises, including her current Bichon, Stanley. Mary and her family also enjoyed a condo up north near the Crystal River and Lake Michigan. In her pastime, Mary loved to attend parties and play cards, particularly euchre. Mary was raised with a strong Christian faith. She was a serious student of the Bible who could answer many questions and could even recite all of the books in the Bible. She was a proud member of Faith Presbyterian Church, which is now known as Heritage Presbyterian Church. Mary attended Pershing High School in Detroit, where she was an impressively fast swimmer, joining the varsity swim team as a freshman. She went on to attend Aurora College near Chicago. Dear daughter of the late Raymond and Mary (Nee Berford) Ferguson. Beloved wife of David Stander. Cherished mother of Jeffrey (Trisha), Douglas (Debra), and Stephen (Caterina) Stander. Special grandmother to Olivia (Michael) Dallaire, Jack, Ava, Matthew, Rachel, Jonathan, Nicholas, and Ashley Stander. Loving sister to the late Leah Bowers, Raymond (Kathy) Ferguson, Fran (Terry) Zilkowski, Sarah Houston, and Debbie Hampton. A gathering of family and friends will take place on Tuesday, August 15, from 4:00-8:00 pm at A.H. Peters Funeral Home, Mack Ave. at Vernier, Grosse Pointe Woods, 48236. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, August 16, at Grosse Pointe Memorial Church, 16 Lake Shore, Grosse Pointe Farms, 48236, 10:30 am visitation until time of service at 11:00 am. Mary will be laid to rest at White Chapel Cemetery in Troy, Michigan.