Virginia Ouellette

A vibrant, fun-loving, and courageous woman, Virginia Ouellette was an extraordinary person to know and love. She was filled with enormous strength and took everything in stride throughout her entire life. It was easy to see that Ginny’s heart beat to be a wife, mother, and grandmother as there was nothing she treasured more than being surrounded by her loved ones. She fully embraced every moment she was given, never complaining when the storms of life came her way. It will be through the lives of her loved ones that Ginny’s spirit will continue to bless numerous others.

Although the entire decade of the 1930s was cloaked in the hardship of the Great Depression, there were still events that kept our nation moving forward. We celebrated the completion of both the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building while the streets of New York City were dressed with first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was during this same time that a young couple from Detroit, Michigan, had much to be thankful for in their own lives as they were blessed with the birth of a healthy baby girl on June 30, 1936. Virginia was one of two children born to her parents, Sigmund and Jean (Cesarz) Mastej, and was raised in the family home at 3451 Military in Detroit alongside her younger brother, Edward, who was two years her junior. Their home was a large house with three stories, which housed not only her family of four, but also her grandmother, her Aunt Celia Marciniec and her son John, and her and Uncle Leo. The Mastej family also took in several borders who lived in the attic and worked in the factories during the week and returned to their farms on the weekends.

Even as a young girl Ginny lived life to the fullest. She and her brother had chickens named Maggie and Jigs as pets, and they could often be seen riding their tricycles around the yard with their chickens perched on their handlebars. Ginny’s father worked as a tool crib operator for General Motors while her mother was a bookkeeper in the office at Penn Central Railroad. Ginny attended Holy Redeemer School where she excelled in her studies all the way through high school, graduating in 1954.

Not to be forgotten during her years in high school was Ginny’s introduction to the young man with whom she would share a lifetime of love. His name was Richard Ouellette, and they met because she tutored him in English. True love blossomed, and they began dating at the age of 16. The high school sweethearts went to their junior prom together and dated throughout high school and during Richard’s time of military service in Korea. While dating, Richard asked both Ginny and another girl to the same Christmas party and gave them the same gift, a scarf. Ginny didn't stand for being duped and left the party but kept the gift. In the end it was Ginny who stole his heart, and they were married on September 12, 1959, in a huge Polish wedding with 250 people attending a breakfast immediately following the ceremony and 500 guests at two seatings for dinner. As a young woman Ginny worked as an office receptionist at the New Center Arena downtown where she met Betty Ann Brown and Carol Walker, who became lifelong friends.

Life was forever changed for Ginny when she and Richard welcomed their only child, their daughter Deborah Jean, into their hearts and home in 1963. Debbie was named Debbie after the Debbie Reynolds movie that her father was watching in the waiting room and Jean for her maternal grandmother. Ginny stayed home to care for Debbie during the week but took part-time jobs on the weekends for a catering company to make extra money. Although cooking was not Ginny's forte, cleaning sure was as even the plastic covers stayed on the furniture until Uncle Ron made such a fuss that Ginny finally took them off! She also took a job at Livonia Franklin High School, first as a lunch lady and noon supervisor and eventually as the bookkeeper in the office until she retired in 1999.

Throughout her life’s journey there was nothing that Ginny enjoyed more than being with her family. Their toy poodle, Missy, was like another member of their family. She was actually Debbie’s dog until she dressed her up in doll clothes and wheeled her around the block in a stroller. From that point on Missy was Ginny’s dog and slept on her pillow every night. With the birth of her first grandchild, Ginny was filled with unspeakable joy to welcome Phillip David into the family in 1994. He was later joined by Kathryn “Katie” Clare in 1999, and to say that they were the apple of their grandma’s eye just may be an understatement. Ginny was a regular on the sidelines of their soccer games for eight years, and she also attended as many of their other events and activities as she could including Phillip’s basketball games and Katie’s dance recitals.

Priceless memories were also made as a family when Ginny and Richard accompanied Debbie and her family on their annual trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She walked along beach in search of shells, rode in an inner tube down the lazy river, and played countless games of putt-putt golf. These two weeks were times that Phil and Katie will always cherish.

In addition to being with her family, Ginny enjoyed other things. She and Richard played golf during their younger years, but she wasn’t all that good at it. In fact, she regularly shanked the ball, nearly taking out their daughter on one occasion! However, going to the casino was something Ginny was good at - and something she loved at any time and anywhere as she would be on a bus at 5:00 a.m. to go on a trip to the Soaring Eagle in Mount Pleasant or the Fire Keepers in Battle Creek. Playing the slots or video poker were her games of choice, and winning those quarters gave her a temporary relief from her ailments and challenges. Near the end of her life she even told the cardiologist, "If I can't go to the casino, then life isn't worth living!" Ginny's favorite team was the Michigan State University Spartans, where Debbie attended college. Whether it was football or basketball she often got so worked up that she could hardly watch. It was a huge disappointment to her family that she was not well enough to see her Spartans become Rose Bowl Champions this year. Ginny also watched the Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings with Richard as it seemed sports was always on the television, which suited her just fine.

Although she struggled with various health issues such as kidney failure, colon cancer, lung issues, and heart valve problems, she took it all in stride. She felt blessed to see Phillip graduate from Novi High School and visit him at the University of Kentucky in 2012. The last event Ginny attended was Katie's Christmas dance recital on December 7, 2013.

With unending love for her family, Virginia Ouellette had a zest for life that was contagious to those around her. She was blessed to spend much of her life alongside her true love with whom she watched her grandchildren grow and blossom. Ginny will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

Virginia J. Ouellette passed away peacefully January 7, 2014 at the age of 77. Beloved wife of Richard for 54 beautiful years. Loving mother of Deborah Piesz. Dearest grandmother of Phillip and Kathryn “Katie” Piesz. Virginia is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held Friday 4-9pm with a 7pm Rosary at the L.A. Turowski & Son Life Story Funeral Home 9300 Middlebelt (north of Joy Rd). Funeral Mass Saturday 11:00am (in state 10:30am) at St. Sabina Catholic Church 25605 Ann Arbor Trail (east of Beech Daly). Please visit: www.TurowskiLifeStory.com where you may sign the guest book, share a memory, or upload a photo. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the American Heart Association or the American Kidney Foundation.