Mary Jane Ralston

Mary Jane Ralston, age 82 of Shelby Township, died Friday, November 29, 2019 at Beaumont Hospital in Troy, Michigan. She was born February 19, 1937 in Midland, Maryland, daughter of the late James and the late Irene (nee: Corrigan) Farrell.

Back in 1937, it was not at all uncommon for a birth to take place in the home, and that is just how Mary Jane got her start in life. Born and raised in Midland, Maryland, the humble environment of the Farrell family home was the perfect beginning for this beautiful baby girl who would grow to become an integral part to so many lives,…she just didn’t know it yet. So Mary Jane made her way through the school years and ultimately became a proud graduate of her hometown high school. Yet amidst all this learning and navigating her way through the teenage years, Mary Jane was already entertaining a vision of something special, something deeper and meaningful. So she enrolled herself in a nurses training program at a local hospital where she could strive towards attaining the knowledge and ability of, one day, becoming a nurse herself. What was once a dream was now a reality, and the world was now much richer to call Miss Mary Jane Farrell its newest nurse. For all who knew Mary Jane, they’ll attest to the fact that she had truly chosen her perfect path in life. Instilled with the ideal mix of compassion, care and hutzpah, she set out to heal the world,…one person at a time. And that is what made Mary Jane an integral part of so many lives.

Yet along the way, something else special befell Mary Jane’s life when she met the handsome and dashing young Mr. Raymond Ralston. Little did she know, at that introductory moment, what all was about to happen. But it didn’t take long for courtship to turn to romance and romance to love,…and in the blink of an eye these two lovebirds were standing at the altar exchanging their vows of marriage and promising themselves to each another. The year was 1960, and the new decade now welcomed its newest husband & wife, Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Ralston. A couple of years later, these post-newlyweds picked up stakes and relocated to Gary, Indiana as they began a new chapter in life. But as fate would beckon, it wasn’t the Hoosier State that would claim this new couple,…rather the Great Lakes State, and the burgeoning young city of Warren. It was those stakes that would sink deep into the Michigan soil and welcome the Ralston’s to their new home. They would come to love their city and its fresh opportunities, and it is where they called home for the rest of their lives together. It is there that Mary Jane and Ray would also raise their two beautiful children, Catherine and James.

Along with pouring herself into the care of her family and household, Mary Jane also continued to extend her vast skills in nursing through her employment with South Macomb Hospital, the same being what we know today as the Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital, Warren Campus on 12 Mile & Hoover in Warren. With over 31 years of loyal and dedicated service to the healthcare industry, Mary Jane truly made a life-changing impact upon countless lives in her daily routine. But though the task was routine, her care was definitely unique and genuine,…and from the heart. Some people just “go” into nursing. Others, like Mary Jane, receive a call upon their heart that cannot be mistaken or misconstrued. Just like the planets aligning,…she was the perfect person at the perfect time for the perfect career,…and she said, yes!

As for some of the favorites in her life, Mary Jane was known for her love of flowers and her affinity for tinkering around in her garden out back. Being both therapeutic and rewarding, it was simply another avenue for her to pour even more of that tender-loving-care of hers into brightening the lives of others through the beauty in her yard. And quite often with flowers and a garden come something else she adored,…butterflies. Mary Jane was not only fascinated by the little creatures, but she was enthralled by the reality of the “freedom” they represented as they flitted through the air with such ease of flight. For those who do not believe in God,…please explain the butterfly!

Then there was her attraction to the entertainment, competition, and camaraderie that accompanied that ever-popular activity of playing Bingo. Nothing says fun quite like the eager anticipation of filling in your spaces, and just waiting for the opportunity to yell out one of life’s most fulfilling words, BINGO! And nobody knew it better than Mary Jane. When it came to letting your hair down and getting in the game, Mary Jane was your girl.

Yet of all the things she enjoyed doing, little could hold a candle to the pleasures of hittin’ the road for a trip back home to Maryland to visit family and friends from her past. It’s been said that your heart always turns towards home, and that was certainly the case with Mary Jane. Not that she didn’t cherish the life she had built and nurtured back in Michigan, but there was just something special for  her in returning to her roots and the “little girl beginnings” of the wonderful woman she had become. Going home to Maryland for those momentary gifts of nostalgia meant more to her than words could describe.

A loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Mary Jane was blessed to care for so many throughout her adult life,…but none more precious than her own, dear family. They were her greatest treasures, and she leaves each of them a magnanimous legacy of love to embrace with each reflection shared. Mary Jane touched a multitude of hearts and souls in her journey through life, may she now rest in peace as she is comforted by those precious words, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.”

Mary Jane was the beloved wife of the late Raymond Ralston, and dear mother of Catherine (Rick) Zasadny and James (Jodi) Ralston. Cherished grandmother of Brandon Ralston, William (Corinna) Zasadny, Ashley (Simon) Hanna, Matthew (fiancé, Abby) Zasadny, Kyle (Ally) Ralston, Allyssa Ralston, and great-grandmother of Isaac, Ella, Bailey, and Harper. Dear sister of David (Ellen) Farrell, Elaine (Gordon) Green, and Irene (Dale) Folk.

Visitation for Mary Jane will be held Tuesday, December 3rd from 3-9 pm at the D.S. Temrowski & Sons Funeral Home, 30009 Hoover Road at Common (12 ½ Mile Road) in Warren.

Mrs. Ralston will lie in state on Wednesday, 10:30 am at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church until  time of the Funeral Mass at 11:00 am. Officiating the funeral liturgy will be Reverend Fr. Nick Zukowski.

Please share memories of Mary Jane at her guest book below.