No fewer than 13 children survive 101-year-old Mary Weatherhead

Mary Agnes Weatherhead of Wayland, and Englewood, Fla., died Monday, July 8, at age 101.

She was born April 10, 1923, in Cleveland the daughter of Herschel and Marie Driver, sister to Martha Driver. She graduated valedictorian from Shore High School in Euclid, Ohio, and attended one year at Cleveland College/Case Western before transferring to the University of Michigan, where she graduated in 1945 with a business accounting degree.

Mary met and dated her future husband the late Edward (Ted) Weatherhead while at Shore High. They were married Sept. 8, 1945. After college graduation, Mary worked as a bookkeeper as they started their family with the first of 13 children born in July 1946.

She would experience steady home employment, where she managed the “family business,” overseeing exponential growth for the next seven decades. Later she partnered with Ted to run the consulting company Weatherhead Associates.

Mary was a devout Catholic. She penned a memoir in recent years titled “Faith First.” Mary served on many committees and volunteered at each parish she attended. She prayed daily for her family, church, country, the world, as well as complete strangers.

Another passion of Mary’s was the maize and blue of the University of Michigan Wolverines. She was delighted to see her team win the national football championship last January. Despite the trials of their season, she somehow saw “signs” her favorite team would prevail.

Mary saw motherhood as a calling and is survived by her 13 children Jim (Diane) Weatherhead of Middleville, Pete (Barb) Weatherhead, of Grand Rapids, Mike (Jean) Weatherhead, of Woodhaven, Joan (the late Michael) Holmes of Grand Rapids, Charlie (Sharon) Weatherhead, of Woodhaven, Bill (Carol) Weatherhead, of Newaygo, Martha (John) LaVoie, of Grand Rapids, Tom (Deby) Weatherhead, of Mesa, AZ, Andy (Cathy) Weatherhead, of Grand Rapids, Bob (Shelly) Weatherhead, of Hicksville, Ohio, Madelaine Jones, of Traverse City, Steve Weatherhead, of Phoenix, AZ, and Mary (Chris) Overbeek, of Murrells Inlet, SC.

She is also survived by 44 grandchildren and 63 great-grandchildren.

Mary enjoyed watching her children and grandchildren in their sports, music, and other activities. She enjoyed playing, watching, following, analyzing, and keeping score of games in which she, her children, and her grandchildren competed. She was active playing games with others on her iPad. She also enjoyed many games that were invented before the screens came on the scene, including Cribbage, Scrabble, Bridge…

She especially enjoyed her annual family reunion (40 plus years) which she would host each summer at her home at Gun Lake. She was thrilled by the 90 percent attendance at each reunion.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, July 15, at Kubiak-Cook Funeral Services (Wayland Chapel), 312 N. Main St., with a Rosary at 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 16, at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church, 159 131st Ave., Wayland, with visitation from 10 to 10:45 a.m. prior.

In memory of Mary and in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warriors Project.