Maryann Hilda Shartow Ruppel
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Maryann Schartow Ruppel was born Maryann Hilda Schartow to Harold and Marion Schartow on December 19, 1945 in Saginaw, Michigan. She was the youngest of two girls in their family of four. She grew up in Saginaw Michigan and spent a lot of time with her family and close friends at a cottage on the lake. She graduated from Arthur Hill High School in 1963.
She attended Western Michigan University and Michigan State University after high school. She met Rod during her college years when they were introduced by the brother of her childhood friend, Karen Vitito, and set up on a blind date. The two got married on March 9, 1968 in Saginaw Michigan.
The young newlyweds enjoyed an adventurous honeymoon in Bermuda where they quickly tested their “in sickness and in health” marriage vows: Rod playfully chased Maryann down the beach in a moped, flipped it, and landed on the road shattering both his elbows. They were off to quite a start.
The Newlyweds had an apartment in Dearborn Heights for a few years before they had to move because they were in a pet free apartment, but had a cat, Liepchen. Rod and Maryann then bought their first home in Westland, Michigan. They spent many late nights after work fixing up this house to make it their own style. The eventually moved to Chicago, Illinois where they both worked for the airlines.
In 1977 they welcomed their first born, Lisa Anne in Arlington Heights Illinois. Just a few months later they moved to Plano, Texas where Maryann joined the Plano Newcomer’s Club and met some friends who would become lifelong family friends. In 1981 the family welcome their second daughter, Amanda Alexa, and continued to live there for the next thirty-five years.
Rod and Maryann helped found Resurrection Lutheran Church in Plano, where they raised their girls and were very active members. Over the years at RLC Maryann was a Vacation Bible School Teacher, Sunday School Teacher, Stephens Minister, volunteer, and was very active in the many different social groups within the church.
Maryann enjoyed an exciting 35 year career in the airline industry working for Northwest Orient and Delta Airlines. Rod also worked for the airlines, Branniff and Southwest, and the two of them enjoyed traveling the world together so much that they were married for 10 years before having children. Once they had children the adventures didn’t stop. Rod and Maryann took their daughters all over the world so they could share their experiences with them. Sometimes it was a simple road trip in the back of a station wagon to go visit grandparents or friends around the country. Other times it was on a jet to go to Disney World, London, Paris, Hawaii, San Francisco or Hong Kong. In recent years Maryann has looked back on that time and expressed how grateful she was that she traveled so much and experienced so much life while she could.
While the airline industry was a passion of hers, she was the 'Barbie of her time' with many jobs and leadership positions to her name. She was in charge of the school talent show, the school yearbook, the Girl Scout troop leader, the Odyssey of the Mind coach, the basketball mom, the pre-school teacher, the elementary school PE coach, the modeling agent, the President of the Pittman Creek Women’s Club, multiple bridge clubs, caretaker of her parents in their golden years, the President of the Resurrection Lutheran Church Women’s group, the President of the Fly Girls Club, a member of the Heritage Ranch Book Club and above all a fiercely dedicated wife and mother. She encouraged her daughters to follow their dreams, be strong, and not let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do. And she supported Rod in every new career opportunity or step in life that he wanted to try. Maryann lit up a room when she walked in, and had a way of making you feel like you did the same.
Maryann was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1996. She knew she was in for a fight but strived to live life on her terms and not let it slow her down. She continued to travel with her husband and be involved in her daughters college and post college lives. Despite her condition, she still danced at each of her daughters weddings, and she welcomed each grandchild into her family within hours of their birth. She loved being a grandmother, and her grandchildren loved her. She got the two boys she had always wanted and two girls that reminded her daily of her daughters. Her oldest Grandson gave her the name Bingae when he was about 2 years old. When he was a little more linguistically advanced he started to say Grandma, but she said she liked having her own special name, so Bingae it was. Bingae was sometimes frustrated with the things she couldn’t do with her grandchildren, like run and play tag. But what she could do meant so much more. She was the grandmother who could hold a child for hours, and sit and read books or listen to stories being read. She loved classic Disney movies and kept a collection of classic VHS movies that she and her grandchildren enjoyed together. She brought magic into all of our lives in so many ways.
Maryann is survived by her husband of 52 years Rod, her daughters Lisa Ruppel Brinser (husband Chris Brinser) and Amanda Ruppel Grubb (husband Kris Grubb) and her four grandchildren Andrew Douglas Brinser (10), Avery Emma Brinser (7), Rupple June Grubb (6) and Rodger Alexander Grubb (4). Maryann passed away peacefully at home on November 1, 2020 in Fairview, Texas. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister and brother in law, and some close friends. We can only imagine how spectacular the reunion was in heaven. We can picture her now, dancing in heaven and watching over all of us from above.
In lieu of flowers we are asking that donations be made in Maryann's name to the MS Society. You can visit the MS Society online by clicking here.