Mary Catherine McHugh

Mary was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1936. She married at the age of 17 and had four children: Theresa Abed and Sherry Dickerson of Grand Ledge, and Bob and Tom Dickerson of Waterford and White Lake. Mary was a loving mother, grandmother and sister. She loved painting, studying psychology and spirituality, growing bonsai trees, and collecting antiques. Mary had a love for animals and always enjoyed being in nature. Her life is one of blazing new trails – with her eye always on helping others and advocating for justice. While raising her four children on the eastside of Detroit, Mary received her GED, and continued on to college, attaining a B.A. in Education from U of M. She taught general and special education students and loved working with the severely mentally impaired. Later, she received a Masters in Justice and Peace from Maryknoll School of Theology and a Master’s in Psychology which led to helping mentally ill clients live independently. Believing strongly in access to quality education for all, Mary served on the Detroit Board of Education. In her pursuit of civil rights, Mary walked with Martin Luther King and was involved in Churches on the Eastside for Social Action. She was very involved in her parish and spearheaded political forums following Mass. Advocating for better working conditions for migrant workers through the grape boycott was also important to her. Where ever there was injustice Mary was never afraid to speak out. Mary’s life was an unending pursuit of knowledge, advocacy, and making a difference. She cherished a loving, merciful and compassionate God who pervades all life, is all inclusive and is the very fabric of our true identity. Her family feels blessed beyond measure to have experienced Mary’s kind heart and unconditional love. A memorial service will be held Saturday, August 15, 2015, 1:00pm at Fenner Nature Center, 2020 E. Mt. Hope, Lansing, 48917 next to a bird sanctuary commemorating her love of birds and nature. Memorial gathering will follow the service at Fenner at the Holihan-Atkin Funeral Home, Grand Ledge from 3:00pm until the time the memorial service at 4:00pm.

Mary Catherine McHugh

September 25, 1936 - August 11, 2015