Mary Elizabeth VanDeKerkhove

Mary Elizabeth VanDeKerkhove (Sand), 77, passed away peacefully with her family by her side in her home on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Mary was born to Harold William Sand and Elizabeth Sand (Knop) on October 15, 1946 in Detroit, MI and graduated from East Detroit High School in 1964. Mary is survived by her beloved husband of 58 years, Frederick VanDeKerkhove; children: Michele (Darrell Laughlin) VanDeKerkhove and Darlene (Brian) Jenkins and grandchildren: Austin, Samuel, Elizabeth, Abigail, Darrell Jr. (Nikki), and Bret; six great grandchildren: Nathan, Noelen, Carly, Seline, Emily and Shelby; brothers and sisters: Janice (Jim) Carpenter Paul (Rhonda), Philip (Judith), Anne (Jim) Packett, Therese (Dennis) Sosin, Joan (Randy) Coplen and Eugene (Lori) Sand and many nieces, nephews, and friends. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, her oldest brother, William Sand, her brothers-in-law, Jim Carpenter, Jim Packett, Dennis Sosin, and sister-in-law, Judith Sand. Family was the cornerstone of Mary’s life and she was considered the “matriarch” and “nurturer” to all of those she loved and who loved her. Losing her father at the age of 16 and being the second oldest of nine, Mary assisted her mother in raising her four youngest siblings. This included taking her youngest sibling on her dates with her “one and only true love” Fred, as she reminded him during her last couple of days. With him along side of her, Mary continued this tradition by raising two daughters, assisting in childcare of her neighbor’s children, her nephews and her grandson. When all of them were grown, she extended that passion with the children at Dresden Elementary School, where she was a lunch supervisor to the little ones and a paraprofessional to students that were hard of hearing. Besides being her daughters advocate, her greatest prides were being the wife to Fred and being “Nana” to her grandchildren and great grandchildren whom she loved with all her heart and they knew it. Mary was also considered a quiet giant (not referring to size but protectiveness towards the ones she loved). Not wanting to be in the spotlight, Mary would quietly leave the room and worked diligently to take care of the needs of everyone around her. She always put the needs of others before herself. Even with the discomfort of her illness when hospitalized, she never complained but instead would always ask others how they were doing and forget about herself. Her optimism was contagious and often made others feel that they could tackle anything. However, when she felt that one of her loved ones or some that she knew was being hurt, Mary’s protective nature (the giant) would come out but not in the way of words but by the nonverbal facial expression or the “look” as many would call it. Mary was motivated by anything that would make others feel good or smile. Whether it was making them laugh by dressing up as a clown or a Dalmatian for Halloween or simply by completing a household task. She cooked meals or appetizers for others regardless if she was hosting gatherings or was a guest at another activity. She took pride in finding interesting recipes that would satisfy the needs of the guests. Even when she was unable to eat over this past year, Mary would often be found watching the Food Network and other shows to absorb more information to be able to share with others. This love for cooking and sharing it with others resulted in many requesting the recipes and starting new traditions themselves. Mary had the uncanny ability to make such a small task, like cooking, seem like a work of art extended into everything she did. She took pride in learning how to sew clothing for her younger siblings and daughters. This talent included making clothes for herself that matched what she made for her daughters, making Halloween costumes for the family, or even creating cushions for outdoor furniture for her husband, showing everyone that she clearly loved her family. Mary was a wonderful role model to her family and friends. She was not pretentious but instead thoughtful and thrived on making others feel special while instilling confidence to be themselves. She never uttered an unkind word to anyone, never judged, was a great listener and accepted and loved everyone for who they were! She had a unique ability with her amazing heart to make every person she met feel as if they were the only person that mattered in the world. Just ask others about their birthday and holiday cards each year. Mary will forever be missed but her legacy will continue to shine through all of those that she loved for she has made an impact on so many people in her lifetime. We love you, Mary! The visitation will be held on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Mandziuk & Son Funeral Directors, Inc. 3801 18 Mile Road, Sterling Heights, MI 48314. Funeral service will be held at St. Blasé Catholic Church, 12151 E. Fifteen Mile Rd., Sterling Heights, MI 48312 on Thursday, May 2, 2024. In-state at 9:00 a.m. with service following at 9:30 p.m. Private memorial service at Great Lakes National Cemetery will be on Friday, May 3, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in honor of Mary VanDeKerkhove may be given to either: St. Jude’s Hospital Make A Wish Foundation of America P.O. Box 1000 Dept. 142 1702 E. Highland Ave. #400 Memphis, TN 38148-0142 Phoenix, AZ 85016 Email: stjude.org/donate Federal Tax ID number 86-0481941

Mary Elizabeth VanDeKerkhove

October 15, 1946 - April 27, 2024