Mary M. Banwell's Obituary
Mrs. Mary Mae Banwell, age 100, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 4, 2023 in Hart, MI. She was born on December 31, 1922 to Orval and Orpha (DeLong) Hyatt in Grand Rapids, MI. Mary was raised in Hesperia, MI, where she graduated high school. She eventually made her way to Muskegon and married Leonard “Len” Banwell on November 25, 1959, where they raised their son, Robert. Mary enjoyed being an active lifetime member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, as well as chaperoning for the Miss Michigan Pageant for many years. Mary and Len had a great time boating with family all over Lake Michigan and Lake Huron for 40 summers. Mary and Len took many snowmobiling trips around the state and even had the chance to snowmobile at Yellowstone. She owned and operated several restaurants, most recently Mary’s Restaurant in Muskegon Heights. Mary was well-known for her extraordinary cooking and baking skills. She was honored by channel 13 and the Muskegon Chronicle for her delightful pies at the café in Hackley Hospital. Mary and Len spent 28 years wintering in North Fort Myers, FL. Mary will be remembered as an outgoing social butterfly and someone who loved a good beer tent. Mary is survived by her son, Robert and her beloved daughter-in-law, Ann Banwell; wonderful sisters, Adda Lea Johnson, and Norma Hyatt; many special nieces and nephews, as well as her grandpup, Ranger and grandcat, Oliver. She was preceded in death by her husband, Len; brother, John Hyatt, and parents. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:00AM Friday, March 10 at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service, from 10:00 – 11:00AM at church. Since Mary loved to feed everyone, memorial contributions in her memory may be directed to St. Mary’s Catholic Church Food Pantry in Custer, MI. Please feel free to share a memory online at www.sytsemafh.com.
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