- Date Of Birth: August 5, 1932
- Date Of Death: May 26, 2015
- State: Michigan
A new day has begun for our beloved Margaret Mary (Brinker) Zitta, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and special friend to many.
After a brief illness, Marge lost her battle, but found peace and freedom from pain on May 26th, 2015 surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Mt. Clemons, Michigan on August 5, 1932 to Frederick Anthony and Johanna Rose (Metter) Brinker. She was very close to her younger brother, Frederick Joseph Brinker who preceded her in death. As a young girl she lived in Detroit, then called the “Village of Warren” and attended Halmich School, a one-room school with six grades. It was there she met her childhood sweetheart, Ronald L. Zitta (“Mr. Z”). She graduated from Warren High School in 1951 and was a proud member of the school Choir.
As a young girl, Margaret and her lifelong friend, Livea Poelke (Demeulenare) worked on the Demeulenare family farm, bringing vegetables from the fields and loading them for delivery to Detroit’s Eastern Market. Marge and Livea shared a lifetime of good memories as true ‘sisters’ and many wonderful times with their spouses and children. They looked forward to their weekly phone conversations every Saturday morning.
On Sweetest Day, October 20, 1951, she married her “Ronnie”. They celebrated their 62nd anniversary in 2013 before Ronald passed away in June of 2014. After their wedding, they moved to Biloxi, Mississippi, where Ron was stationed at Kessler Air Force Base. There, they welcomed their first two children, Ronald V. and Kristine. After returning to Michigan, they completed their family with the addition of daughters Kelly and Karen. Margaret was a loving, compassionate and supportive mother. She believed that being a mother was a gift, and she was a natural. She was a loving mentor and role model to her children as well as her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
After moving to Midland in 1963 and raising her family, Marge shared her musician husband’s love of music and often accompanied “Mr.Z.” to many of the music jobs he played throughout the area. Through this, she met many people and formed many “forever” friendships. Margaret was an accomplished ballroom dancer and enjoyed dancing with her other best friend, Valorie Meyer (Bay City). She watched “Dancing with the Stars” and a personal highlight in her life was dancing with Bobby Burgess of The Lawrence Welk Show fame. During the early 70’s, Margaret worked at the Evenknit store in downtown Midland. After moving to Sanford Lake in the late 70’s she stayed in touch with her old neighbors and friends from Sandow Road by remaining active in their ‘Garden Club’ and always looked forward to their luncheons.
Over the years, Marge and Ron enjoyed travels together and with friends throughout the U.S. Her daughters will cherish the memories of the many ‘girl trips’ they took. Marge’s recent travels included a trip to Colorado to see her youngest granddaughter and a visit to California in December to spend time with her eldest granddaughter’s family. She loved to entertain and hosted many gatherings and memorable events for her family and friends.
Marge believed in the power of a smile and felt you could brighten anyone’s day by sharing one. Her sparkling eyes and beautiful smile could light up a room. She was tickled by the fact that throughout her life, many people thought she resembled, or was, Elizabeth Taylor. Her natural beauty never went to her head and her heart was just as beautiful. She made everyone feel special and was very caring. After more than four years of daily visits to help care for her husband at Brittany Manor, she continued to spend time with residents after Ron had passed away. She was also instrumental in the caretaking responsibilities of her mother, mother in-law and brother in law.
Margaret was proud of her family and being a grandmother and great-grandmother was a thrill for her. She was the center of her family and everyone loved being around her. We all thank her for her love, patience, guidance, wit and sense of humor.
Marge is survived by her son Ronald V. (Delite) Zitta of Sanford; daughters Kristy (Ragnar) Avery of Kalkaska; Kelly (Randy) Cook of Leslie; and Karen Sugar of Brighton. Grandchildren are Rachel Zitta; Angela-Jamaica (Kris) Weide, Amanda (Kevin) Myers; Kyle Niekowal, Jamie Niekowal (fiancé Jessie), Chad Niekowal; Alex (Leanne) Sugar, Hailey Sugar (fiancé John) plus eight great-grandchildren. She is also survived by sister-in-law, Elizabeth (Raymond) Quenneville, brother-in-law, Joseph Zitta, and sister-in-law, Donna Brinker. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Ronald L. Zitta, her parents, her in-laws, Leo and Angeline Zitta, and her brother, Frederick Brinker.
Marge was a member of Our Lady of Grace in Sanford where she loved her church family, especially Father Dan. Her family would like to extend a special thank-you for all of the prayers from the church and her lifelong friends, far too many to mention. There are many who loved her as a second “Mom”, including very special friend, Julie Johnson. A big thank you goes out to Julie for all of her help and love through this difficult time. Her family is also grateful for Bayside Caretakers for their assistance during her final days.
