Mary Sue Sickafus

Mary Sue Sickafus of Grosse Ile, Michigan passed away peacefully in her home on Sunday, November 30, 2025, following a battle with breast cancer. She had just celebrated her 93rd birthday two weeks earlier with numerous friends visiting her in her home.

Mary Sue was born in Springfield, Missouri on November 16, 1932, the only child of Ray and Glenn Gist. She grew up in Bolivar, Missouri and attended Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, where she met and married her husband, Edward Nathan Sickafus. Mary Sue and Ed spent 65 happy years together, living in Missouri, Virginia, Colorado, and Michigan, before retiring to Grosse Ile.

Mary Sue dedicated her life to volunteerism and church and community service. She worked as a medical technician at hospitals in Rolla, Missouri and Charlottesville, Virginia. She followed this with lifelong volunteer service to the Red Cross. Mary Sue served her Lord first in youth ministry at Livonia Baptist Church in Livonia, Michigan and later through many years of teaching bible classes at the Baptist Center in downtown Detroit. She and Ed also hosted Captioned Films for the Deaf for many years in Dearborn, Michigan.

Mary Sue earned a bachelor degree from the University of Michigan and later became heavily involved in the Wyandotte-Downriver Chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). In this organization , Mary Sue was the member that established the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) program that promoted career fields for young women in the downriver area. She was twice honored as Woman of the Year in this organization (1997 and 2015).

Mary Sue volunteered as a tutor for under-privileged youth in Detroit for more than twenty years. She took a personal interest in children, offering them hope for a better future. For Mary Sue, it was more than just tutoring, she was trying to enrich their lives. Mary Sue was recognized numerous times for her dedication to volunteer service, including the 1992 American Institute of Public Service Jefferson Award, which was accompanied by the following citation:

… MARY SUE SICKAFUS is “a visible image of everything we mean when we talk about the word, volunteer.” Any hint of human suffering motivates Ms. Sickafus to help, heal and support, to help fill the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots”.

Mary Sue is survived by sons, Kurt Sickafus (Talissa Ralph) of Sapello, New Mexico, and Karl Sickafus (Sandra Bernstiel) of Indiana, Pennsylvania, and grandchildren Nathan Sickafus, Natalie Sickafus and Christina Keller.

Mary Sue is preceded in death by her husband, Ed, and her parents, Ray and Glenn Gist.

A celebration of Mary Sue’s life will be held at Grosse Ile Presbyterian Church on Saturday, December 13. Visitation will be held from 9:30-10:30 am followed by a memorial service from 10:30-11:30am. Burial will take place at the Grosse Ile Memorial Cemetery (10124 Groh Road, Grosse Ile 48138) immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers or gifts, please make a contribution to the American Red Cross of Southwest Michigan, in memory of Mary Sue Sickafus (ph. (269) 353-6180, website www.redcross.org).

Arrangements are entrusted to and under the care of The Martenson Funeral Home, 3200 West Road, Trenton, Michigan 48183.