- Date Of Birth: June 1, 1932
- Date Of Death: September 7, 2020
- State: Michigan
Mary Jane ThomannSouthgate – Thomann, Mary Jane. Age 88. September 7, 2020 of Southgate. Beloved aunt of John (Denise) Thomann, Judy (David) Chartrand and Paul (Doreen) Thomann. Dearest cousin of Eleanor Wirth, Evelyn Young, Joni Holder and Jimmy and Dennis Neubacher. Also survived by her great nieces and great nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers Elmer, George and John and several of her loved nieces and nephews. Mary Jane was a life-long member of Trinity-St. Mark’s Church, teaching Sunday School for 35 years. She also served as secretary for Church council and volunteered with the Alzheimer’s care group always finding ways to put her faith into service. She was proud to be a member of the church she was baptized in, and made the effort to attend church, even via zoom, when she was unable to connect with her TSM family during the Jane began her working career with Hudson’s shortly after high school and remained with the company until her retirement. Friends and family recount that when she was asked to move with the company to Minneapolis, Minnesota they were worried about a single woman moving on her own—but that didn’t sway Mary Jane from pursuing the challenge and adventure. She made friends quickly and used her love of the Detroit Tigers to start conversations and make friends. Upon retirement, she moved back to the Detroit area to be near family and continued her volunteerism efforts with the Hudson retirees. Mary Jane was the fourth child of her parents, and the age gap between her and her brothers made her upbringing much like that of an only child. Despite this, Mary Jane was not alone. She had three cousins close in age who lived within 10 blocks, and they grew up like sisters. From attending church to attending Tigers games, to exploring the city on street cars, they were nearly inseparable. As adults, rather than grow apart, their love for one another remained constant, with one cousin recounting that it was Mary Jane that was the glue that held them all together with her regular phone calls and letters. A more loyal Detroit Tigers fan, you’ll never find. Mary Jane was a member of the Mayo Smith Society, a club for “Tigers Fans Who Always Care.” She loved their annual luncheons and looked forward to learning the inside scoop about the team in their newsletters. When visiting the Detroit Historical Society’s Tigers’ exhibit a few years ago, Mary Jane had more Tigers trivia at the ready than the curator of the exhibit had Jane’s memory for details and important events was incredible. She never forgot a birthday or anniversary and could even tell you the exact date she began her move to Minnesota all those years ago. Her nieces and nephews fondly recall the times they spent with her at sleepovers and in her Sunday School classes-and as they recounted memories in her last days, Mary Jane filled in the details. Family was everything to her, and her grief at watching nieces and nephews precede her in death was shared with someone recently, that she loved to read, enjoyed a few television shows and liked to write letters. “It may not seem like much to you, but it’s a good life, and I like it,” she said to them. Mary Jane’s simple life of service to others and love for family was anything but small. People were drawn to her kind spirit, gentle sense of humor, and felt the generosity of her love for others. She will be missed by all who knew her.
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