Mary Menzie Myles

Our beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend to all, passed on to her heavenly home on July 15, 2024.

She was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, on Oct. 8, 1927, to Carl & Louise Menzie. Her father died too young but she was able to grow up with a younger brother and sister when her mother was remarried to Eugene Bradford. College was at St. Mary of the Woods, graduating in 1949 with a degree in social work.

In 1950 a job opportunity brought her to Bay City, Michigan. She met and later married Gordon A. Myles of Tawas City, in 1953. They moved to Essexville a few years later and raised a family of five children. During the '60s as her family was growing up she was active in the St. John/St. Jude church and school system by serving on the parish council, assistant girls' basketball coach and later as a Eucharistic minister in retirement. She also wrote a small social newspaper column for the Essexville Observer for a few years called Mary's Corner.

In the 1970s she returned to work at the Bay County Child and Family Services and eventually finished her career in 1988 as a juvenile probation officer in the Bay County court system.

In retirement she was able to enjoy traveling to visit her roots in Ireland with family and friends, trips to casinos with girlfriends and family visits across the country as the family spread out to keep in touch.

She was an avid reader of mysteries and loved her college sports teams of Notre Dame and Michigan State in football and basketball. She also was a Detroit Tigers baseball fan and enjoyed watching pro tennis through the years too. She was such a good sport herself, always fun to be with and up for any adventure with family and friends. We will so miss her kindness and cheerfulness; she was nick-named by a friend as "Mary Myles of Smiles."

In her later years as her health declined she made the difficult decision to leave her home of 55 years to move west to live with family for more support. She did enjoy the drier climate and mountain scenery of Colorado and Utah, but never stopped missing her Michigan family and many friends she left behind.

She is survived by two daughters, Kathy (Rob) Clapper of Montrose, Colorado, Ann (Kevin) Fletcher of Draper, Utah, and son Jim (Debra) Myles of Burke, Virginia. Also three grandsons, Matthew Fletcher, Jacob and Luke Myles and two step-grandsons Kacen andKris Clapper and their extended families. Also her beloved sister Nancy Leflar of Farmington Hills, Michigan, with many loved nieces and nephews included too.

She was predeceased by her husband Gordon, two sons Neil and Doug Myles, brother Patrick Bradford and brother-in-law Jim Leflar.

The family would also like to thank the wonderful and caring staff at Colorow Care Center. Their kindness and compassion will always be remembered by our family.

Services will be at a later date in Essexville, Michigan. Remembrances can be sent to HopeWest Hospice of Montrose, 725 S. Fourth St., Montrose, CO 81401, or a charity of one's choice.

Skorupski, Essexville, Michigan, and Crippin, Montrose, Colorado, funeral homes are assisting the family.