Maggie Mateer
March 9, 1951 – December 5, 2023
Maggie Mateer of Fowlerville sadly passed away on Dec 5. 2023 after a short but courageous battle with cancer.
Remembering a Beautiful Precious Life, Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Friend
Born in Glasgow, Scotland March 9, 1951 Maggie came to the United States on October 9, 1951 where she would become a naturalized citizen soon afterwards. She soon moved in Garden City, Michigan where she was raised to young adulthood by her parents Hugh and Edith Mateer. Maggie graduated from Garden City East Senior High School in 1969 where she made some very precious lifelong friends.
Maggie married and gave birth to two beautiful daughters, Michelle and Jennifer. And as such things go, Maggie started employment at Wayne County R.E.S.A. and soon found herself, as a single young mother raising and guiding her daughters to young adulthood herself. After guiding and helping them through college, Michelle became a teacher and Jennifer became an Occupational Therapist. They each married and blessed Maggie with four precious grandchildren: Spencer, Jenna, Sarah and Ava that she loved and cherished until the day of her passing.
Maggie retired from Wayne County R.E.S.A. in 2017 after 40 years. She loved her job and made many very close friends while she worked there. Known for her conscientious work style and exuberant attitude, Maggie became loved by all and valued by her coworkers and supervisors. Always willing to pitch in and help wherever needed, and always with a smile. This did not mean that Maggie was all business either. With a quick wit and a fabulous sense of humor, she was able to play a few jokes on people as years went by and could be the victim of a joke as well while laughing about it at the same time. In her post retirement years, Maggie organized the meetings of a retirement group that tried to meet monthly for luncheons.
In the late 1990’s Dale Brown came back into Maggie’s life and a bond that had been broken decades before was remade and made whole for both of them. Maggie welcomed Dale into her life with open arms and an open heart. Dale brought into her life two young adult children as well, Dustin and Alicia, which she welcomed with open arms and loved them as hers also. They each married and started young families of their own. Again, Maggie was blessed with five more precious grandchildren: Olivia, Emma, Morgan, Liam and Charlotte that she loved and cherished until the day of her passing.
Maggie and Dale bought a piece of land on Lady Jane Lake with the dream of building their retirement home and on June 5, 2004 they were married in Livonia, Michigan. They completed their home on the lake and moved there permanently in 2012. As being born in Glasgow and raised in Garden City, Maggie did not know much about country life. But, as with anything Maggie welcomed and embraced such a change in her life. She found the folks in and around Fowlerville to be kind and friendly. Maggie loved the Fowlerville Fair, of course the Christmas in the Ville parade and festivities, and the Ladies Night Out. She became a member of the Fowlerville Garden Club and enjoyed their activities as well.
Her life of living in the country brought forth a blossoming in her that was wonderful to see. She was amazed by the animals, trees, birds, the sounds, feels and smells. Living this close to nature changed her life, she embraced all of it, even when the weather got harsh or the deer ate her hostas. She believed everything had a place in this world and she respected all of it. She enjoyed gardening around her home and enjoyed the springtime when the world awoke around her with the flowers and trees. Calla Lillies that rebloomed every year were her favorite. Also, watching the birds and deer outside our home’s windows year round thoroughly amazed her. She found grace and peace in the new outside world around her. Maggie absolutely loved it. And she would dance without any music, only the sounds and feeling of this life around her in her mind.
Maggie’s devotion to Dale and their marriage was without fail. She accepted everything that came along with courage and dignity. She welcomed each day with a smile and ended each day with a kiss. Maggie simply enjoyed making everyone comfortable, always with a kind word or with a listening heart. Always with the ability to feel someone else’s troubles she would offer comfort, sound advice and rational thought. These abilities were apparent and other people in her life eventually learned from her kind and generous nature.
Maggie took great pleasure in making her home warm and comfortable for anyone who came. She made sure that everyone had plenty of food or drink. Everyone got a hug when they arrived and a hug when they left.
Maggie also had an ability to be welcomed by animals, they seemed to not fear her. They seemed to have met a kindred spirit and so as the years went by she had many pets. Of her most beloved were her two Chows—Taz and Taboo, and her two beautiful cats—Lucky and Joe who crossed over this past year.
Maggie will be remembered for her beautiful spirit, her sense of humor and the love she showed to everyone she came in contact with. Many times in the past few weeks people would make it a point to say how easily it was to like Maggie, to love Maggie. If one would become Maggie’s friend then they indeed had a true friend. Never to tell a secret and always to respect someone else’s privacy, Maggie was a fierce believer in a person’s private life. Engaging with Maggie, she would be sure to make others the center of her attention, never demanding or requiring the spotlight for
herself. She was also a fierce believer in one’s liberty and the right that they may have to live as they wished as long as they did no harm to her loved ones. That is when her Scottish heritage would come out and she became a fierce defender of her people.
Maggie had very few other family members that lived in the States. But, she loved and held on very tightly to her cousin Elizebeth Molloy in Ft. Meyers. She cherished the weekly phone calls from Beth. Also Heather and Maria Castiglioni in Delaware who were always in awe and truly loved their Aunt Maggie.
Maggie was predeceased by her parents Edith and Hugh, her loving daughter Jennifer Allesandrini, and father-in-law Roland Brown.
She is survived by her adoring husband Dale Brown, her lovely daughter Michelle, her son-in-law Matthew, Dale’s loving son and daughter Dustin and Alicia. Nine grandchildren, cousins and countless friends who loved her dearly and will miss her tremendously. I wish I could name all of them, but the number would be too great.
Maggie was very adamant before she passed that she did not want a funeral, but that in her words her family and friends “should have a party.” And that everyone should eat and drink well, play good music loud, sing and dance, tell stories and of course laugh. This shall be done.
A celebration of Maggie’s life and spirit will be held in the summer of 2024. Arrangements entrusted to Herrmann Funeral Home. Online condolences may be expressed at pjherrmannfuneralhome.com
