Mafalda Jeanne Gaskin

Mafalda Jeanne Gaskin née Martelletti was born on August 24, 1926 in the bustling and growing city of Chicago to immigrant parents; she was a patriotic American but proud of her Italian heritage. Her birthplace just might have set the tone for her life, which was characterized by strength, faith, and humor - as well as her legendary energy. When Bernardo and Ina Martelletti first saw the sweet face of their newborn daughter, could they imagine the love with which her children, grandchildren, and friends would gaze upon it when they said goodbye over a hundred years later?

Jeanne’s father was a master of terrazzo; many reading this will have seen his handiwork, which still graces the floor at the Church of the Resurrection and multiple other landmark buildings in Lansing. His position as a union leader for this craft in Chicago unfortunately drew unwanted attention from organized crime, making the city unsafe for his young family. Jeanne spent much of her childhood moving around the country out of harm’s way, until her family settled in Lansing. She attended St Mary Catholic school and was the prettiest graduate in the class of 1944.

But you can’t take the Chicago out of the girl, so she went back as a young adult, where she resided at a lovely boarding house and worked as a switchboard operator and occasional model. Good thing she did, because that’s where she was swept off her feet by a dashing young man just back from the war in Europe. Jeanne and Roy Gaskin married, started their family in Chicago, and moved to Lansing in 1950. They had 67 marvelous years together, and Jeanne recently described him as “the perfect husband.” Together they raised four boys and one darling little girl. The door to their house was always open, and they would often host friends, neighbors, and priests for lively dinners filled with conversation and laughter. To her dear pal Father Alex Bottazzo especially, her kitchen table was the second rectory. They spent many an hour in conversation over eggs, coffee, and cigarettes, plus the occasional afternoon sippy-wippy.

Jeanne had a passion for her Catholic faith that started when she was a young child. The Church was the one constant throughout her life, giving her comfort and strength through all of the challenges and moves. Wherever she went, she found the Catholic church and was at home. As a child, she would even attend Mass by herself if no adults wanted to go. When she was a little girl, she saw a ceramic crucifix in a store window and gasped at its beauty. She quietly pocketed her streetcar fare and walked to school until she had the money saved up to buy it. The sculpture was carefully kept through her whole life, and as she frequently said, “I want to be carrying it when I meet Saint Peter,” it was laid in her arms in her last moments.

The Church of the Resurrection held a very special place in Jeanne’s heart, where she was a devoted parish member and volunteer for more than 70 years and where her five children attended school. She and Roy served as Eucharistic Ministers, distributing Holy Communion to shut-ins and hospital patients. She prepared countless funeral luncheons, bravely sampling the desserts to be sure they weren’t poisoned - “I lay my life on the line for these people!” When a fellow volunteer asked Jeanne, then well into her golden years, when she was going to retire from this work, Jeanne laughed and replied, “When you do mine!”

She had a particular and deeply personal devotion to the Blessed Mother. One of the many ways that Jeanne cared for her children was to pray the rosary for each of them daily so that they might be protected and in a state of grace. (Jeanne's children were a bit more unruly than Mary’s. She wore out a lot of beads.)

To know Jeanne was to be in the presence of infectious joy. She could laugh at anything. She took interest in everyone around her. She had a keen intellect for current affairs, but was never bitter or cynical. She was modest and unassuming. Her vigorous energy and resilience were legendary; as an example, she celebrated her 90th birthday with her first walk of several across the Mackinac Bridge, something she’d always wanted to do. When she faced setbacks that would knock anyone else over, she bounced back up, laughed, and kept going.

Her family was everything to her. She loved them ferociously and was so proud of their achievements and who they are. In Jeanne’s own words, included here per her wishes, she said, “I Love all my family and grandchildren with all my HEART.” After a hundred years of an extraordinary life, she wanted us to share that this is what she valued most: “my church, my country, my family - and especially my wonderful grandchildren. They are my whole life.”

Jeanne peacefully passed away on September 17, 2026 with her family present. She is survived by her sons Dennis, Tom, and Patrick (Emily), daughter Mary Jo (Chris, aka “my favorite man!”) and daughter-in-law Carol (John); grandchildren Marci (Justin), Amanda (John), William, Mallory, Gabriel, Lauren (Charlie), Vivian, Lucy, and Connor; and great-grandchildren Julian and Leo. In Heaven, her loving husband Roy is going to sweep her into a jitterbug and mix her a Manhattan, and she will be joyfully reunited with sons Scott and John, and dear friends Shirley Temple, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Carson, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Padre Pio.

Mafalda Jeanne: You filled every room with such life that it’s hard to believe you’re really gone. We will never, never forget you. When Saint Peter hastens to open that gate for you, Heaven isn’t going to know what hit ‘em. You might even make it a little better.

The family would like to thank the staff and residents of Independence Village of East Lansing for providing such a warm and congenial home for her these last three years. We also thank the staff on the sixth floor of McLaren Hospital for their extraordinary care in her final days, and for graciously allowing her (very large!) family to be present round the clock to celebrate her life and ascension.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, between the hours of 6 PM until 8 PM with a Rosary Service at 7 PM at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, 900 East Michigan Ave, Lansing, MI 48912.

Mrs. Gaskin will lie in state on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 10 AM until the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM at Church of the Resurrection, 1505 E Michigan Ave, Lansing, MI 48912.