Mary C. Moore

Mary Carmelita Moore (Guerin) of Grand Rapids, Michigan, passed away on November 11, 2017 at the age of 93.

Born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1924 to the late John and Grace Guerin, née Fordney, Mary grew up and attended school in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  She graduated from Ottawa Hills High School.  At the end of WWII, she enrolled in nursing school at the University of Michigan. She married her beloved husband John Edward Moore in August 1946, and shortly after she had to put her education on hold to take care of her growing family.  She resumed her studies after her last child was born and received her nursing degree from Grand Rapids Junior College in the late 1970’s. 

She will be dearly missed by her five children, Stephen Moore (Laurie) of Colorado Springs, CO; Alan Moore (Cathy) of Ada, Michigan; Susan Weller (Rick) of Lexington, KY; Cathern Vaccaro (Jeff Johnson) of Chicago, IL; and Virginia Garney (Geoffrey) of Alexandria, VA; her daughter-in-law Suzanne Moore of Satellite Beach, FL; her 16 grandchildren; her 7 great grandchildren; and her sisters Theodota Hersman of Grand Rapids, MI, and Diana Wellington of Long Boat Key, FL. She is remembered by numerous relatives and dear friends.  She was preceded in death by her husband John Moore, her sister Minerva Hawkins, her brother Michael Guerin, and her son-in-law Filadelfo Vaccaro.            

As a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) she was a floor nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital.  After she received her Registered Nurse (RN) degree she worked in surgery as a scrub nurse for numerous doctors at St. Mary’s Hospital; however, she was most passionate about her job running the Western Michigan Clinic that referred patients to the Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children in Chicago.  Later in life she had her own business organizing and managing health fairs for companies in the Grand Rapids area.  One of her greatest joys was to help and care for other people. 

She was one of the first Super Moms, raising five children while attending college and working full time. Even with her busy schedule she always put family first.  She strived to ensure that all her children and extended families remained close to one another.

Our family would like to give warm thanks to Marie Maitner for her many years of love, companionship, and special care ‘Her Mary’.  We would also like to thank Sheila Curry for her compassionate nursing care for past year.

A small service will be held in her honor on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 at 1:30 P.M. at the Metcalf and Jonkhoff Funeral Home, with visitation from 11am until 1:30pm.   

Donations can be made in honor of Mary at Gilda’s Club in Grand Rapids, an affiliate of the Cancer Support Community (1806 Bridge St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504), or Shriners Hospital for Children – Chicago (2211 N. Oak Park Ave., Chicago, IL, 60707).

Christmas was her favorite holiday, and this year she will be able to enjoy it with John. 

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