Our beloved mother, Marianne Carr, passed away peacefully on July 31, 2026, at the age of 87, with her children by her side.

Marianne was born on January 5, 1939, in Highland Park, Michigan, to Cross J. Ruffino and Mary (Kurtz) Ruffino. She was the youngest of four daughters and the last surviving member of her immediate family.

In 1958, Marianne married John “Jack” Carr, and together they began the family that would become the center of her life. In just seven and a half years, they welcomed five children. Their growing family eventually outgrew their home in Warren, and in 1971 they moved to Sterling Heights, where Mom created the kind of childhood for her children that we will always be grateful for—one filled with love, laughter, family, friends, and memories that have lasted a lifetime.

While raising five children, Mom somehow always found time for fun. She dabbled in cake decorating, ceramics, and sewing; coached her youngest daughter's softball team; volunteered as a catechism teacher; and faithfully drove all five of her children to their bowling league every Saturday morning.

She loved playing Pinochle with her brothers- and sisters-in-law, chatting with neighbors on the front porch, and spending Sunday nights bowling with Dad in their neighborhood bowling league. These were simple pleasures, but they were the things that made up her full and happy life.

Mom began working full-time at General Dynamics in 1981. She spent the next 32 years there as an administrative assistant, balancing a career with the family that always remained her greatest priority.

After her children were grown, Mom moved to Shelby Township, where she enjoyed having a home of her own. Retirement gave her more time for some of her favorite things—going to the casino, playing Bingo, trying her luck at the slot machines, spending time with her children and grandchildren, and, of course, watching her favorite shows on what she affectionately called the “idiot box.”

But nothing made Mom happier than being surrounded by her family. Some of our best memories were made sitting around a table together, especially when there was a family game of Texas Hold'em underway. She loved games, she loved to laugh, and most of all, she loved having her family together.

As she grew older, Mom took turns living with her children in Michigan, always surrounded by the family she had spent her life caring for. During the final year of her life, she lived in warm, sunny Florida with her oldest daughter, Cathy, and her husband, George.

In the end, Mom left this world exactly as she had hoped. She never had to live in a nursing home. She never had to fly on an airplane. And when her time came, she was surrounded by the children she had devoted her life to raising.

Marianne was the proud mother of five children: Catherine (George) McNabb, John (Jill) Carr, Kimberly (Tim) Gibbs, Marianne (Jeff) Mertz, and Joseph (Julie) Carr. Her family continued to grow through the generations, blessing her with 10 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild, each of whom held a special place in her heart.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Cross and Mary Ruffino; her three sisters, Rose Clark, Wanda Laurent, and Josephine “Dolly” Perrone; and her former husband and the father of her children, John “Jack” Carr, who passed away in 2019.

Mom's greatest accomplishment was not something that could ever be measured by a job title or an award. It was the family she created. She raised five children who grew up knowing they were loved, and from those five children came generations of grandchildren and great-grandchildren who will carry pieces of her with them for the rest of their lives.

We will remember her in the stories we tell, the games we play, the laughter around the table, and the family traditions she started so many years ago. The family that began with Mom and Dad all those years ago continues to grow, and that may be the greatest legacy they left behind.

We will miss you, Mom, more than words can say. But we will carry your love, your laughter, and your memory with us always.

A visitation will be held on Friday, August 28, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., followed by a Memorial Mass at 10:00 a.m. at All Saints Polish National Church, 5555 17 Mile Road, Sterling Heights, Michigan 48310.

A luncheon reception will immediately follow the service at Fern Hill Banquet Center, 17600 Clinton River Road, Clinton Township, Michigan 48038.