Ellen Mara

She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Born May 9, 1927, in Ishpeming Michigan, to Harold and Myrtle Lindbom, she was one of five children.

Growing up in Ishpeming, May always hoped there wouldn’t be snow on her birthday. She met the love of her life, Tony, when he was in high school and married him in 1949. The pair later moved to Farmington where they raised their family of five children.

Having worked with her aunt at Carnegie library in Ishpeming, May briefly wanted to become a librarian. She studied library science at Northern for a semester before leaving to work for AT&T. Her love of books never wavered, and she shared this love with her grandchildren, gifting them a book each Christmas. Moreover, following a long career as payroll manager at the Farmington Hills Crowley’s department store at 12 Mile and Farmington Road, Christmas presents from May were almost always gifted in her traditional “Crowley’s boxes”.

May always had a jar of Oreos to share with her grandchildren and loved getting together with everyone. She was a skilled Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy player and avid knitter. She enjoyed singing and always had a beautiful garden.

May leaves behind five children, Ellen (John Morrish), Lorrie or Lorraine (Jim Urban), Willam (Candy), Yvonne (Jack Rapin) and Thomas (Theresa); as well as 11 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and her sister, Lorraine (the late Herbert) Alvord.

She was preceded in her death by her loving husband, Anthony “Tony” Marra in 1992, a granddaughter, Heather Urban in 2018, and siblings, Carl Lindbom, Virginia Martin and Ann Ottman.

Family and friends may gather for visitation at the Heeney-Sundquist Funeral Home, Farmington (248-474-5200) on Thursday, November 21, from 2:30-8 pm, and again Friday morning from 11 am until the start of the 12 Noon Funeral Ceremony.

Private interment will follow at Glen Eden Memorial Park in Livonia.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Ishpeming Carnegie Library.