Mary Elizabeth Holmes

Mary Elizabeth (Bacon) Holmes, born February 8, 1945, died February 28, 2022 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Mary attended St. Mary’s High School in Lansing and graduated from St. Mary’s Academy in Monroe, Michigan. Later, she was a graduate of Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts in public policy. Mary had a genuine calling to public service which translated into a long career in politics. She worked for the State of Michigan and was an active member of the Ingham County Democratic party and enjoyed various campaign activities. Her gregarious nature and organizational skills helped her develop a reputation as a superb campaign manager. Mary held many roles with the Ingham County Democratic party: chairperson, first vice-chairperson, member of finance, elections, judicial candidate review, Michigan Democratic Women's caucus. She was a delegate to Democratic National Conventions for Jimmy Carter and Jesse Jackson. She also worked for Bob Carr, Debbie Stabenow and Jim Blanchard to name a few. One favorite celebrity was Gloria Steinem, whom she met with her political friend Marie Kingdon.

Prior to her political career, she was a partner at Colonial Arts Wholesale and Holmes Floral then Vice-President of Operations for Casper Systems, Grants Coordinator for Neighborhood Builders Alliance and later worked for US Air in both Lansing and Pittsburgh. She spent a short time working at Michigan State Building and Construction Trades Council, Lansing Neurosurgery, Director of Intergenerational Housing Initiative with the Michigan Office of Services to the Aging and then ended her career as a customer service representative at Blue Cross/Blue Shield. In each of these settings she was valued for her kind and caring approach to people.

Mary is survived by her children, Tim Holmes and Michelle Jennings (Perry) and three grandchildren (Caleb Jennings, Dashiell and Grayson Holmes). She is also survived by her sisters Peg Bacon (Julia Tanner), Kathryn Wright (Van Wright),and Martha Jakubiak, as well as her nieces Elizabeth Jones and Marianne Bacon and nephews Michael Bacon and Miklos Horvath. She was preceded in death by her parents, Marie and Robert Bacon, her brother Michael Bacon, and by her longtime partner, Warren Gregory.

Her legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of everyone she interacted with as well as those she reached but never met. Visitation will be held at Tiffany Funeral Home, 3232 W. Saginaw St., Lansing, on March 10, 2022 from 2- 4 pm and 6- 8 pm. Funeral Mass will be at St. Gerard Church, 4437 W. Willow Hwy., Lansing, on March 11, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. with visitation beginning at 9:30 a.m. Livestream available at: http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/70642 Following the funeral Mass, interment of ashes at St. Joseph Cemetery.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.tiffanyfuneralhome.com for the Holmes family.