Marcia M. Gade died May 1, 2017

Marcia M. Gade

Died May 1, 2017

TUCSON, AZ – Marica Mae Gade, 92, of Tucson, AZ, formerly of Leland; passed away Monday, May 1, 2017 in Tucson.

Marcia began life on Sept. 19, 1924 in an upstairs apartment on Detroit’s lower east side, born to Lawrence and Edna Bluck. During World War II, she attended Cooley High School and thereafter, Wayne University, majoring in Education. She was baptized at First English Lutheran Church; confirmed at Epiphany Lutheran Church, Detroit. Prominent in her teenage years was her passionate attendance at Detroit baseball games with her father, preparing her as a life-long, die-hard Tiger fan. Also during these formative years, Marcia often worked part-time at the downtown Detroit JL Hudson Dept. Store, developing a refined sense of fashion.

At Epiphany in 1946, Marcia met a young man originally from eastern Colorado, then serving as a vicar from Concordia Seminary, St Louis. Their relationship grew into an engagement and then marriage on June 7, 1947. A Divine Call sent Dwain and Marcia Gade to begin concurrent mission congregations at Our Savior, Armada, and Redeemer, Washington Mi. After a few years, another Call in 1952, led them to a third mission start-up at St Luke, Mt. Clemens, Mi, until 1961. And finally, a Call was accepted to the Institutional Chaplaincy for metropolitan Detroit, and a move to Harper Woods, until retirement for both Marcia and Dwain in about 1985.

During the years of these various ministries, Marcia regularly served as a choir member and Sunday school teacher, and became a mother to Mark (’49), Shelley (’50), Kim (’52). She then utilized her skills professionally at schools in Memphis, Mi and in Mt Clemens teaching history and English. Her abilities were strengthened as she earned a Master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling, followed later by a Specialist degree in Education. All of which prepared her to be a successful and popular guidance counselor at Mt. Clemens High School for 20 years.

As retirement neared, Dwain and Marcia built a beautiful home outside of Leland on Lake Michigan, primarily by themselves. They loved the Leland area and developed many relationships in the community, especially at Immanuel Lutheran Church, where Marcia again became a choir member; Dwain was occasionally called on to preach there, and at surrounding area churches until shortly before his death in 2009.

In retirement, Marcia and Dwain were also blessed with another house to enjoy winters in Tucson, Arizona. But the Gades always looked forward to returning to Leland, which they considered home. Throughout these years, they also travelled extensively throughout Europe and the US either by tour bus or cruise ship. Then soon after Dwain’s death, Marcia sold her beloved home on the bluff overlooking Little Traverse Lake, and moved permanently to Tucson in the care and companionship of her daughter Shelley.

On the first day of May 2017, Marcia Mae Gade, TV station weather-watcher, crossword puzzle solver extraordinaire, hospital ER aide, pregnancy center counselor, dedicated teacher, loving wife, mother, grandmother—transferred into eternity as promised by her Lord Jesus Christ—only after leaving a godly influence on 3 children, 7 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, and the world around her.

Marcia is survived by her three children, Mark of Grosse Pointe Woods, Shelly of Tucson, AZ, and Kim of Littleton, CO; eight blessed grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and her beloved husband of sixth-two years, The Rev. Dwain M. Gade on Sept. 27, 2009

The funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24 at Immanuel Lutheran Church of Leland with the family greeting friends at 12 noon.  Burial will follow at the Swedish Mission Cemetery of Good Harbor.  The Rev. Joshua LaFeve will officiate.

Memorials may be directed to Immanuel Lutheran Church, PO Box 436, Leland, MI 49654 and/or The Pregnancy Care Center, 121 S. Garfield Ave., Suite C, Traverse City, MI, 49686.

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