Martha “Mardi” May Maxwell of Chelsea, Michigan, formerly of Ferndale, Michigan, age 85, passed away Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at the Chelsea Retirement Community in Glazier Commons. She was born on December 14, 1940, in Xenia, Ohio, the daughter of Rev. O. Worth and Catherine May. Her great spirit of survival was exposed early in the wake of her premature birth, weighing in at under two pounds.
Mardi grew up in Beckley, West Virgina, with her parents and three younger sisters. After graduating high school, she pursued higher education, earning her bachelor's degree from Duke University, and master's degrees from Case Western before embarking upon her career in social work. Mardi was married to Rev. James “Jim” Henry Maxwell who preceded her in death on November 5, 2025. Mardi was introduced to Jim when he began his ministry as assistant to Rev. May (Mardi’s father) at Trinity Episcopal Church in Covington, Kentucky. Mardi and Jim merged their lives easily with shared dedication to serving others in need, and through love of family and their faith in God. Mardi and Jim were married in 1965 and last year they celebrated 60 years of marriage together. Over the years, Mardi moved with Jim as he was called to serve in different churches (Philadelphia, Pocono’s), until finally settling in Ferndale, Michigan (1978). Having stayed home with her children previously, in 1980, Mardi returned to work with those in need, first working with developmentally disabled residents of Wayne County, then pregnant teens (through Catholic Social Services) and finally with at-risk children at the Children’s Home of Detroit.
In retirement, Mardi enjoyed traveling with Jim to visit friends around the world, spending time with her family at their cabin in North Carolina, and eventually, relished their three months each winter as “snowbirds” in Florida. Despite a busy schedule with travel, volunteering, and church, Mardi’s greatest priority in retirement was her grandchildren. She was famous for scheduling overnight visits including trips to the Detroit Zoo, Greenfield Village, Henry Ford Museum, plays/musicals, art museums, and festivals – often with each trip personalized to the interests of the child/children that she was with. She loved to bake cookies and garden with them. She, along with Jim, attended every preschool recital or concert for each grandchild, and smiled happily when receiving the homemade creations that she was gifted with – which she always kept (with many likely still to be found somewhere in the many boxes of mementos that she could not part with).
When mobility issues became difficult to navigate in their multi-level home in Ferndale, Mardi and Jim moved to an independent living retirement community in Chelsea. They lived together until Jim’s health needs surpassed what could be cared for independently, and after he moved across campus to dementia care, Mardi drove her motorized scooter each day – carefully watching the weather for possible heavy winds or rain or snow – to visit and spend hours looking at pictures and playing scrabble with Jim. Following his death in November, Mardi’s health began a steep and rapid decline. Some may call it “broken heart syndrome.” We may never know exactly what abruptly ended her life after eighty-five years on this planet, but we are profoundly glad that her last minutes were peaceful, and she was not alone.
Mardi is survived by her sisters, Catherine Marshall and Margaret May; children, Stephen (Deb) Maxwell of Canton, Tim (Suzanne) Maxwell of Birmingham, and Debra (Andy) Houde of Saline; and grandchildren Jacob, Maxwell (Loren), Nicholas, Taylor, Alison, Michael, Catriona, and Mitchell, along with (through marriage), Abigail, Caitlin, and Ashley Houde. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, and her sister, Ann Vannier.
A memorial service and interment ceremony will be held Saturday, September 5th, 2026, 10 a.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Ferndale (540 W. Lewiston, Ferndale, Michigan, 48220), with Rev. Clare Hickman officiating. The family will receive friends at the parish hall immediately after the service for light refreshments. Memorial contributions may be made to Episcopal Relief and Development Fund by following this link https://support.episcopalrelief.org or by mailing a check to Episcopal Relief & Development, 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017.
Arrangements were entrusted to Cole Funeral Chapel in Chelsea.
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