Mary Margaret Rea

Mary Margaret Rea, age 78, of Northville, formerly of Novi, passed away peacefully October 15, 2019. She was born on September 20, 1941 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada; daughter of Gordon and Mary (nee Murray) McIntyre.  She graduated from West Bloomfield High School; Class of 1959.  Mary Margaret was united in marriage to James D. Rea on August 1, 1962; they spent 55 loving years devoted to one another until his death on September 1, 2017.

Mary Margaret was an incredibly hard worker and had an outstanding work ethic.  In 1978, she and her husband purchased the Winner Circle in Northville.  In 1984, they built the Starting Gate from the ground up and it was established as a mainstay in downtown Northville.  For over 30 years, Mary Margaret ran the bar restaurant while her husband took care of behind the scenes operations.  Her love of people and the town was evident in the smile she gave each customer that entered the bar. Her kindness extended beyond the walls of the bar, she donated to many causes and sponsored many teams in the area.

Mary Margaret was the perfect wife and a devoted mother.  When her boys were young, she volunteered with the Boy Scouts and supported them in their athletic and extracurricular activities.  She also volunteered with Precious Blood school in Detroit and St. William Parish in Walled Lake.  She served as a room mom and tutor with Walled Lake Schools.  An avid bowler, she also enjoyed fishing.  She liked to play cards; pinochle was her favorite.  She was fond of all animals and created a backyard animal sanctuary by feeding the wildlife at her home.  Her Canadian heritage was very important to her, but most important was her unconditional love for her family.

Mary Margaret is survived by her loving sons James D. “Jimmy” Rea and Gino R. Rea; her siblings, Thomas McIntyre, Katherine Elliott, Terry (Vicky) McIntyre, and Heather (Lawrence) Reinardy; her granddaughter, Alicia (John) Sawicki; and her great grandchildren, Courtney Burmeister, Amelia Higgins, and Daniel Sawicki.  She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her granddaughter Collette Higgins, her sister-in-law Sheryl McIntyre, and her brother-in-law Arnold Elliott.

The visitation will be held Sunday, October 20, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.  The funeral service will be held Monday, October 21, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. at Casterline Funeral Home, 122 W. Dunlap, Northville.  Mrs. Rea will be laid to rest next to her husband at Rural Hill Cemetery in Northville.

The family would appreciate memorial contributions to Shriners Hospitals for Children – Development and Donor Relations Department, 1645 West 8 ^th Street, Erie, PA 16505.