Mary Jane (Arends) Pearcy

February 12, 1948 - December 7, 2020

Mary Jane (Arends) Pearcy, 72, of Grand Rapids, died December 7th in the loving company of her husband and children and supported by the caring nursing and hospice staff at Spectrum. Jane was born February 12, 1948, and grew up as the fifth of seven children of Jerome and Polly (May) Arends. She graduated from Ravenna High School and Michigan State University. Jane is survived by her husband of nearly 52 years, Tim; children Brett (Valerie), Tammy (Todd) Gerig, and Kristin (Jebb) Verburg; beloved grandchildren Evan, Sena, Ella, Gillian, Ava, Natalie, and Sophia; siblings Mike (Carol), Don (Pam), Steve (Kathy), and Dan (Lynne) Arends; sister in law Nancy Arends; brother in law Howard Woodard; and many cousins who were her lifelong friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Bill Arends and Anna Mae Woodard. She was a treasured aunt and godmother to many. Jane received her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and took a teaching position with Sparta High School. Her greatest joy was staying home and raising her three children. After a number of years she returned to work and began a long tenure in the marketing department of Meijer. This was the source of many close friendships nurtured long after Jane’s retirement. She was a longtime member of Holy Spirit Parish and practiced her deep, unwavering Catholic faith through decades of active Bible study, loving actions, and humble service. Jane will be forever remembered as a passionate Detroit Tigers baseball fan and for her love of Lake Michigan. She appreciated simple flowers and silly puns. Few dishes she ever cooked or baked for a family meal or potluck resulted in leftovers. She passed on the love of cooking to her children and granddaughters. Extensive travel with Tim was a happy part of their retirement, though nothing brought her more joy than time spent with her family and her role as Grandma. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday December 15, 2020 11:00 am at Holy Spirit Church. Her family will receive visitors Monday December 14, 2020 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm at the Arsulowicz Brothers Remembrance Mortuary, 3525 Remembrance NW and Tuesday one hour prior at church. Masks and social distancing are appreciated. The Mass will be livestreamed via the Holy Spirit Facebook page. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Ann’s Home https://stannshome.com/donate/