KOWAL, MARY
Mary Kowal of Shelby Twp. died on Valentine’s Day 2023. Her passing was gentle and peaceful, reflecting the way she lived her life. Born in 1925, Mary grew up in a small mining town hit by an industry slump in the 1920s which was further impoverished during the Depression. However, Mary always felt “well off” because her father often earned a few extra cents as a self-taught fiddler playing for weddings, funerals, and other events when he wasn’t working in the mines. Mary knew she needed to leave home to find work as soon as she graduated from high school. She ventured to Detroit to take a job in a Detroit factory building bomber wings for WWll. For a shy young woman, it was a bold move. After the war, she met the brash Chuck Kowal in one of those romantic stories that begin with annoyance then give way to long-lasting love. They were married for 75 years, until his death a year ago. Mary enjoyed the gift of contentment. She didn’t ask for more than what she had, went about her work cooking, cleaning, gardening, and caring for her family, which included a child with extra needs due to a heart defect. Mary was one of those people who showed her love through doing for others. Need your laundry done? Tidying up or errands run? Dinner (breakfast, lunch)? A cup of cappuccino? We said ‘Yes.’ Her go-to phrase when asked what she thought about something: “It’s different.” We never really knew what she meant by that. She could spend hours filling in crossword puzzles or assembling jigsaw puzzles. And she loved to watch the world go by from a swinging porch chair. Reading three mysteries or thrillers a week, Mary inspired the gift of reading among her family. She loved children and pets, including a nasty cat named Wilson that would strike out at anyone but her. We miss this quiet, unassuming woman who was a devoted wife, loving mother, sassy grandmother and great-grandmother. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Charles, and her devoted daughter, Paula Rouse. She is survived by her children, Deborah Kowal (Richard Goodman) and Garry Kowal (Barbara Bostic); her grandchildren, Mark Kowal (Tina), Stacey Cook (Justan), Zachary Goodman (Haley Yamamoto), and Brooke Goodman; and her great grandchildren, Hemingway and Ellington Cook, Aurora Rose Kowal, and Cruz Goodman. In memory of Mary— pet a friendly cat, read a good book, and eat some strawberry-filled nalesniki.