Mary Palone

Mary Jane Palone

January 26, 1930 – July 27, 2025

Mary Jane Palone, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away on July 27, 2025, at the age of 95.

Born on January 26, 1930, to Earl and Zylpha Smith, Mary Jane lived a life marked by creativity, devotion, and boundless energy. She graduated high school at just 16, went on to attend business school in Springfield, Missouri, and eventually built a life of love and faith with her husband, Irvin Welch Palone, beginning their marriage in Springfield before settling in Ferndale, Michigan.

Mary Jane was a woman of remarkable talents and tireless dedication. A gifted seamstress, she spent countless hours crafting clothes for her family—beginning in infancy—and even sewed custom suits for her husband. Her creativity extended beyond the home as she designed intricate stage sets for special church programs, once famously sewing a life-sized mountain to accommodate the 500-seat choir at Temple Baptist Church in Detroit.

Her professional life was just as accomplished. She began as a receptionist at Commando Tool and Die in Troy, MI, and rose to become a purchasing agent and executive assistant to the president as the company transitioned into Piece Maker.

Mary Jane embraced life with energy and enthusiasm. Whether ice skating, horseback riding, skeet shooting, or gardening alongside her husband, she found joy in both indoor and outdoor adventures. She shared a love of baseball and travel with her daughter, and her playful spirit remained intact as she shot hoops and played catch with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

More than anything, Mary Jane’s life was shaped by her deep and abiding faith. She dedicated over fifty years to teaching Sunday School to young women and held firmly to her belief in the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Irvin Welch Palone; her parents, Earl and Zylpha Smith; her brothers, William (Sonny) Smith (Florine) and John (Buck) Smith (Deannie); and her grandson, Joshua Cole Smith.

Mary Jane is survived by her daughter, Gina Lynn Palone of Stilwell, Oklahoma; her grandson, Justin Lane Earley of Waco, Texas; her grandson, Aaron Welch Earley and Kelli Spanier and their children—Jayden Lee, Kadden Welch, Aaron Irvin, and Madeline Renee—of Stilwell, Oklahoma. She is also survived by her sister, Clara Jenece Smith Baker of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and a host of beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Mary Jane Palone lived a life of purpose, love, and service. She will be deeply missed and forever cherished by all who knew her.