Mary Jo Hade

Mary was born July 18, 1942 in Escanaba, the daughter of Robert and Mary Helen (Chaison) Gasman. She was a proud graduate of Holy Name schools and attended secretarial school in Milwaukee after high school. Mary worked in customer service for DTE Energy (MichCon) for over 32 years, retiring in 1998. She was also a dedicated volunteer with a variety of programs for decades in Delta County.

Mary met Charles “Terry” Hade of McFarland at a street dance in Escanaba while visiting her parents for a weekend. They were married on July 18, 1964 in Escanaba. They were married for 48 years.

Mary is survived by her daughter, Marnie Hade of Jackson, Michigan.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Charles “Terry” Hade, her parents, brother Robert Gasman, stepparent Nellie (Johnson) Gasman, stepbrother Gregg Johnson, stepsister Karyl Grimes, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Mary Jo had a wonderful way of making you feel cared about. Her warmth, compassion and quiet strength touched those she met. She led a life filled with love, grace, purpose, and integrity. She consistently modeled the values of hard work and dedication. Mary Jo’s love for her family, friends, and community was constant and felt boundless.

She found joy in so many simple things many can relate to; a warm cup of coffee, honoring her family’s green thumb in her gardens of all kinds that attracted pollinators and hummingbirds galore, getting lost in a book in a comfortable chair with her favorite blanket and/or reading with children, hitting a golf shot that landed safely in the fairway, singing/listening/dancing to music of all kinds, soaking in quiet moments on travels with her family and friends, and treating herself to a delicious Sayklly’s snappy with a glass of wine would always bring out her beautiful smile.

Even as her last years included a journey through a dementia diagnosis, her beautiful smile lit up the room each day. Her kind spirit was fully on display as she sang to, hugged, and loved those around her.

Her family and friends will be eternally grateful for the unwavering care and love shown to her by her long term caregivers (Jesslyn, Brenda, and Rita from Home Instead) and her Hospice team.

A visitation celebrating her joys and love of life will be held at Skradski Family Funeral Home in Gladstone from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. with a memorial gathering of friends to immediately follow on Wednesday, July 9.

In lieu of flowers, Mary Jo’s wish was that people choose to direct their time, talents, and/or money to helping others. Share with whatever program or whomever could use your help. If you choose to make donations in her name, Mary Jo’s favorite programs in Delta County were the Community Action Agency (especially the RSVP program she was devoted to for years), the Salvation Army, and the local libraries in Gladstone and Escanaba. After Terry’s passing she also created a scholarship at Bay de Noc Community College in the Hade family name that also accepts donations.

To leave the family a message of condolence, go to http://www.skradskifuneralhomes.com.