Mrs. Grace Gorno Bagans

Eulogy for Grace Bagans
A light has gone out on Grosse Ile.
Grace Marie Bagans, ever cheerful, smiling, loving, welcoming, a strong petite lady with a hearty laugh and never ever a negative word about anyone or anything, enjoyed life for 91 wonderful years.
I am Mary Jo, Larry’s wife. Both Grace and I are daughters of Italian immigrants and we both grew up in Detroit, so although we were of different generations we had so much in common. Because of our heritage, Grace and I loved all things Italian including each other.
You all know Grace’s children, Larry, Martha, Marlene and their families. We’re a close-knit family and have been together every day this week sharing memories and creating this eulogy together. So I share with you now some of our thoughts.
The first thing that came to everyone’s mind was food. Grace was an excellent Italian cook. She learned the art of Neapolitan cooking from her mother. There was no need to measure; a little of this, a pinch of that, and the result was always perfect. Grace had tried to pass the family recipes and techniques on to her own children. Now, I have to admit, Larry, and Aaron too, have indeed mastered the homemade pizza. But, homemade noodles and sauce: the soul food of the Bagans family is still a challenge. Under Grace’s watchful eye, Marlene would start the recipe, but as hard as she tried Grace just couldn’t keep herself from jumping in there and taking over. Marlene, please know that we all have faith in you and are confident that you can keep our family fed.

Grace’s little house on Meridian Road where she lived for 62 years is an itty bitty house but the love and memories it contains make it a mansion. Meredith and Zak recall a feeling of never wanting to leave Gram’s home. Morgan, Maddox and Gaaron all delighted in the candy treats placed throughout the house.
Grace’s house is a museum too. She actually kept and displayed every little gift or handmade item that her children, grand-children and great-grandchildren made for her. One would think that if you added just one more thing the house would burst – but instead it just kept stretching.

Grace loved sports of all kinds. She was in a bowling league for many years and maintained a 165 average. She faithfully followed U of M football. But her favorite team of all was the Detroit Tigers. Every year when Larry asked her what she wanted for her birthday. Grace would answer “take me to a ball game”. On her 85th birthday we went to the game and had her name in lights on the Tiger`s scoreboard. She saw her favorite player, Lance Parrish, on the field and said she wanted to meet him. We told her that it was close to impossible. She walked down to the field anyway and the next thing we knew, Lance had his arm around her and had signed her ball cap.

And maybe I shouldn’t mention this. But I think Grace belonged to a secret organization, something they call the “board meeting”. This exclusive group met, by invitation only, just once or twice a year. The results of their meetings were never disclosed. I did not dare ask any questions but I do know they referred to Grace as The Chairman.

Grace was a true “people-person” And like her son, Larry, she was able to strike up a conversation with any one and learn their life history in 5 minutes or less.
Above all else Grace loved her family. She was a second mother to Aaron, Lisa and Danny. They recalled that as children they actually looked forward to getting sick. When they came down with a flu, or sore throat, Martha, on her way to work, would bring them to Grandma’s house or as they called it: Gram’s Rehab. There they would be nestled under a blanket with a fluffy pillow and nursed back to health in the loving hands of Grandma. Sarah and Emily spent as much time as they could with Gg, to them she was a doting grandmother, a loving friend and a great card player. Though she lived far away, Meredith felt the warmth of Gramma’s love and fondly remembers family vacations up north and in Las Vegas. Grace was Zak’s number one fan, so proud of his TV show and other accomplishments. She was thrilled to be able to enjoy her four great-grand children Morgan, Gaaron, Maddox and Greyson, all of whom she cherished.

Grace shared fond memories of 4th of July gatherings on Gorno’s Fox Island, of her brothers’ drop-in visits, and Christmases at Nonna’s. And, for all of us here who miss her so deeply, we remember that there is another large group on the other side who have been waiting a long long time for their Grazuch, their Gray to join them. Through Grace’s great storytelling I feel like I actually knew them: her parents Nicola & Giuseppina, Her siblings: Mike, Don, Joe, Ang, Louise & Nick and her husband Clarence, especially Clarence. They are together now, eating Grace’s bolognaise, sipping wine and Grace is telling new stories, stories about us.

A little bit of Christmas all year round. Grace loved Christmas. It was a family tradition to watch the Perry Como Special and go to midnight mass. She looked forward to baking cookies with Lisa and to having Sarah and Emily decorate her home. Martha, Marlene and their entire families would all spend Christmas eve night at Gram’s so that they could all wake together on Christmas morning. The gifts were piled high around the tree and the kids slept on couches and floors wherever they could fit. The house was ablaze in the warmth of love and Christmas lights both inside and out. Grace loved Christmas so much that some of her decorations never came down. And the outdoor tree, neither snow, sleet or freezing temperatures could stop her son-in-law Bill from faithfully decorating it every year.

The Christmas tree that once illuminated Meridian Road will be dark this year.
A light has gone out on Grosse Ile.
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The family asked me to conclude with this verse which so aptly describes our feelings.
What moves through us is a silence, a quiet sadness, a longing for one more day, one more word, one more touch.
We may not understand why you left this earth so quickly,
or why you left before we were ready to say good-bye,
but little by little, we begin to remember not just that you died,
but that you lived.
And that your life gave us so many memories too beautiful to forget.

With love to all of you here …..Thank You for sharing in some of our memories.

Eulogy for Grace Bagans
A light has gone out on Grosse Ile.
Grace Marie Bagans, ever cheerful, smiling, loving, welcoming, a strong petite lady with a hearty laugh and never ever a negative word about anyone or anything, enjoyed life for 91 wonderful years.
I am Mary Jo, Larry’s wife. Both Grace and I are daughters of Italian immigrants and we both grew up in Detroit, so although we were of different generations we had so much in common. Because of our heritage, Grace and I loved all things Italian including each other.
You all know Grace’s children, Larry, Martha, Marlene and their families. We’re a close-knit family and have been together every day this week sharing memories and creating this eulogy together. So I share with you now some of our thoughts.
The first thing that came to everyone’s mind was food.... READ MORE →