Mary DiPofi

Mary Claire DiPofi, 85 years, passed away June 4, 2019, surrounded by her children. She will be welcomed into heaven by her husband, Vincent Sr., son David, parents, Joseph and Esther Hanna, and sister, Sheila Hanna. She is survived by her children, Vincent Jr. (Sandy), Matthew (Becki), Kathleen Shelton (Clay), Jodi Grzybowski (Tom), daughter-in-law Karen DiPofi, sister, Joan Ardrey (Jack), 11 grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mary Claire was born in Toledo, Ohio on October 7, 1933, grew up in South Toledo and graduated from Notre Dame Academy in 1951. She had a full life as a mother and a career woman, long before it was commonplace. She was always a leader. She was both the Cub Scout leader for her sons, and the Girl Scout leader for her daughters.

After her five children were all in school, she went back to work as a part-time sales clerk at LaSalle’s department store. She rose in the ranks of management, becoming the office manager, personnel director, assistant store manager at Westgate, and retired as an executive as Store Manager for the Woodville store. Then she started her second career in her 60’s at the Toledo Museum of Art, working as a docent and in the Human Resources department. She finally retired at age 80.

Along the way she was known for her annual trips to Naples, Florida with “The Golden Girls”, her best friends Ellie Walter and Evelyn Binder. In her younger days, she and her sister Joan were famous for their spring break trips to Virginia Beach and looking for sailors coming into port. She ultimately married a Navy sailor, her husband Vince, and they were married for 56 years.

She was a faithful Catholic and a regular member at Christ the King Church and later Mt. Carmel in Temperance, MI. She will be missed by all of her friends and family.

The family would like to thank the many nurses and aides at the Genacross Wolf Creek Assisted Living and Nursing Home and the Right at Home caregivers, for all of the support and service they gave to her over the past 3 years. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations to The Alzheimer’s Foundation. 

Visitation will be held on Friday, June 7, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. in The Urbanski’s Bedford Funeral Chapel 8300 Lewis Ave Temperance, MI. The funeral mass will be celebrated on Saturday, June 8, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church 8330 Lewis Ave Temperance, MI  where she will lie in state in the narthex after 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.