Mary Prosowski

Our dear and sweet, Mary passed on July 31, 2024, at her home in Belleville. She was surrounded by the people who love her most, the staff and her friend Jan.

Mary led a remarkable life. Born with disabilities in 1942 to an unwed mother, Sophia Prosowski, she was soon dropped off at an institution where she would spend at least forty years of her life. Her father Edward Kosozalinski died when Mary was five years old.

Mary spent the most important years of her life institutionalized in various mental hospital. Mary was a ward of the state.

In the 1970’s, there was a movement to deinstitutionalize people with chronic disabilities, protect their rights and reduce the cost of care. The was high hopes that modern medications and treatments, could assure that people with serious mental illness could live a successful life in supportive network in the community. The idea was to achieve for patients, the least restrictive setting in which they could live, where their freedom would be least damaged by the care they received.

It is unknown when Mary was moved out of the institution and into the community, to a residential group home.

In 1997, Mary moved to a group home in Livonia, operated by Alternative Services, Inc., run by then CEO Art Mack, who was a major proponent of the deinstitutionalization movement.

Mary began to thrive. She was living in beautiful home, with roommates that she loved and staff that genuinely loved her too. She had a terrific sense of humor, often spicy! She loved to walk and was adamant about watching “her figure”.  She was kind, empathetic and caring. She loved talking to people. If we were out grocery shopping, she would introduce herself to strangers in store. Her neighbors were important to her too.
Mary learned job skills and became gainfully employed where she worked with job coaches, cleaning churches in the neighborhood.

In the early 2000’s, Mary asked friend Jan Mack, to be her guardian. Initially, Jan was hesitant to respond as she felt it was a monumental responsibility, and feared she might let Mary down. Soon after Jan accepted and began bringing Mary home with on the weekends and for all holidays. Mary caught on to that routine quickly and loved it. With every holiday, she would ask if Jan would take her home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and so on. She would always remind Jan of the holidays too. Mary once asked Jan if she were going “to take her home for Groundhog’s Day”. 😊

Jan’s sister Teresa would take her home on the weekends too. We had become Mary’s family and she loved it. We loved her. She loved hanging out in the kitchen with her cup of coffee while we cooked dinner. Cartoons, especially SpongeBob was her favorite, although she never liked Patrick (the starfish) and would refer to him as the “heavy set-one”. 😊

In the group home, Mary was continually surrounded by the staff, all of whom loved and supported her in the best possible way. Considering the challenges Mary faced in the first half of her life, it’s remarkable that she lived to 82 years old. Jan and her family attribute the care she received living in the group home where the staff loved and respected her. Mary had a terrific sense of humor. She always kept everyone laughing. She was smart, kind, empathetic, compassionate, and loving.

Despite Mary’s blindness, she enjoyed going to the Thanksgiving Parade, the fireworks, Christmas lights, on the holidays too. She loved watching TV, and listening to oldie’s music where she knew and would sing the words to the songs.

Jan and her family are immensely proud of the life the community provided for Mary and grateful for the lessons she taught us all. It was quite remarkable that she was so compassionate, considering her initial upbringing. Her presence will be deeply missed. Mary mattered.

A visitation will take place at the R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Home, 15451 Farmington Rd., Livonia, Monday, August 5, 2024 from 11:00 AM until her Funeral Service at 2:00 PM.

Please share a memory of Mary by signing her Guestbook.