Marjorie Marie Stock

It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Marjorie Marie Stock (née Sprague) passed away suddenly on Monday, April 27, at the age of 86, due to complications from Alzheimer's. She is survived by her loving husband of 55 years, Don, six children: Steve, Mark, Amy, Marlene, Mary, and Sara, seven grandchildren, and siblings Joe, Jim, Rob, and Beth. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Mick, and daughter of her heart Sharon.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, on April 15, 1940, “Marge” was the firstborn child of Jack and Ruth (Ellis) Sprague. After moving to a bungalow in Redford, she was joined by five more siblings, though it was Marge who guarded the kids with her grandpa’s rifle when Jack and Ruth were gone one evening, and a noise was heard outside the front door. She graduated from Ladywood High School in 1958 and joined the convent. Though later opting to leave the convent, she retained lifelong friendships she had made there. With a passion for learning, she earned a degree from Madonna University. She continued her education with a Master's in Biology from the University of Detroit in 1970. Among other works, this included a lengthy paper titled “Biochemical Support for the Theory of Evolution.”

Marjorie met Don Stock while they were teaching across the hallway from each other at Saint Andrew High School in Detroit. They were married a few years later, in 1970, at St. Valentine’s in Redford, MI – a parish which counts Marge’s parents as founding members. In the following decade, they added six children to the family, later known as the “Stock Pile.” Following Don’s work as a high school principal, she helped move the family through Western Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and eventually back to Redford, Michigan, to the same block she grew up on. She beat cancer twice. She studied for and became a professional cancer registrar, working at the University of Michigan and Karmanos Cancer Institute. She and Don moved into their house in Plymouth Township, where her retirement was full of gardening and grandkids.

She could find joy in everyday things, but especially in nature and the outdoors. From a young age, her summers involved camping trips to many locations, especially Hoeft State Park near Rogers City, Michigan. She and Don continued the tradition of camping while on vacation with their children, blending lessons in history and culture with appreciation for God’s gift of nature. In later years, the large garden behind the house in Plymouth was tending, twice featured on the Plymouth Garden Walk. Marge was also a master of sewing machines: she would design and make clothes for special occasions, mend the inevitable tears, or create custom dolls. But she often said that the happiest years of her life were spent raising her family, a role she embraced with her whole heart.

The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Marge’s caregiver, Lindsay. You loved her, and it showed every day. There are not enough words to express our gratitude.

We would sincerely appreciate your presence this coming Saturday and Sunday, May 2nd, from 4pm - 8pm & May 3rd between 2pm - 8pm, at Harry Will Funeral Home, 37000 Six Mile Rd, Livonia, Michigan. A service, funeral, and luncheon will be held on Monday, May 4 (“May the Fourth be With You”) at St. Kenneth Catholic Church at 14951 N Haggerty Rd, Plymouth, Michigan. You may arrive at 10 am to pay your final respects before the service, which starts at 10:30am. A luncheon will immediately follow the mass in the parish social hall. Marjorie’s ashes will be interred at Holy Sepulchre in Southfield, Michigan.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers or gifts, a donation be made to the Karmanos Cancer Institute (http://www.karmanos.org/giftofhope and indicate that the gift is in memory of Marjorie Stock) or the Alzheimer's Association (https://www.alz.org/help-support?form=FUNSMRYZSMP check “Dedicate this donation” and “Marjorie Stock” for “Honoree name”).