Mary Ann Kucie Orr

Mary Ann Kucie Orr passed away in a hospice home in Livonia, Michigan on May 16th, 2024. Mary Ann had recently celebrated her 88th birthday after a lifetime of sharing her love of art, beauty, nature and justice with those around her.

Mary Ann was born May 5th, 1936, in South Lyon, MI to Paul and Gladys Kucie. She graduated from Detroit Mercy High School and attended University of Detroit for her undergraduate degree and the University of Michigan for her Master’s. Mary Ann married Kenneth Thomas Orr (divorced) in October of 1961 and had two daughters, Nancy Orr Walter (married to David) and Judith Orr Murphy (married to Timothy).

Raising her children as a single mother on a Detroit Public Schools teacher's salary, Mary Ann had tenacity and toughness to spare. Determined and occasionally disruptive, Mary Ann was a passionate advocate for feminism, racial equality, and labor rights well into her later years. She believed in taking action in her community, which she did through teaching refugees sewing skills, pushing back against gerrymandering, and being on the leadership board of her condo association. She knew the things that mattered to her, and she lived her life accordingly.

Mary Ann was wildly creative. She was an excellent quilter and painter who found beauty all around her. She loved walking in nature and making art based on what she saw in the great outdoors. She'd decorate with branches she found, or cut up old children's books to make greeting cards. Any ordinary object or experience became fodder for her art. Along with creating beauty herself, Mary Ann enjoyed listening to opera and classical music and never missed a chance to share her latest discoveries from her bookshelf or CD collection. She was also a voracious reader who loved to discuss current events and philosophy.

Mary Ann would want us to honor her memory by taking long walks outside and slowing down to notice beauty all around us. She would want us to ask ourselves what we believe in, and how we can do something about it.

Mary Ann is survived by her daughters and three grandchildren, Daniel Walter (married to Ioana), Joy Walter Shantz (married to Benjamin), and Grace Walter, and her six great-grandchildren as well: Anjali Walter, Karis Walter, Mercy Walter, Benaiah Walter, Rosemary Shantz, and Walter Shantz. She is also survived by her sister Veronica Bushey, nieces Annette Frank and Pauline Bushey, and nephew Alan Bushey (married to Helene), as well as her grand nieces Shannon Alexander, Erin Alexander, Alana Frank, her grand nephew David Frank, and her great-grand niece Adriana Alexander.

When asked to sum her up in three words, here’s a few ideas our family thought of: “Against the Grain”, “Road Less Traveled (but she hated Robert Frost)”, “The Original Hipster”, and “Never Enough Fabric” all came up.

She was a wonderfully weird, fun, and loving person, and she will be greatly missed.