TRAVERSE CITY - Mary Elizabeth Childs, 55, of Traverse City was able to leave her lifetime broken body on October 1, 2015 and go to heaven to be with her Lord, her brother Scott, and all of her grandparents.

Mary was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan on October 29, 1959 where she lived until 1976. While there Mary attended the Rackham School of Special Education at Eastern Michigan University. She then moved to Traverse City with her family, Ross and Helen Childs, her brother Scott and her sister Susan.

Despite having serious physical handicaps Mary enjoyed life to the fullest. This was made possible by Mary Jean Brick who founded BrickWays, BrickWays staff, College Park Staff, Grand Traverse Industries and staff, Pat Pickard and other care givers from In Home Health Services, special doctors Steven Thomas and Lara Madigan and Christine Ibbotson who was Mary's friend, and protector Her life was extended miraculously by the excellent care she received at Munson Medical Center by the Doctors and Nurses who cared for her during the many health crises that came into her life. She was always treated royally on her many emergency trips to Munson.

Mary had some very special highlights in her life, which included: being a part of her sister's wedding, being with the "light of her life" her niece Carly Moffitt, attending a concert by her favorite Canadian Country singer, visiting her grandfather on the great lakes ship he captained, the time her cat had five kittens, going on a trip to Florida with her housemates, the annual BrickWays Christmas parties, attending a Detroit Tiger baseball game this past summer, attending a game at the Red Wing Camp in Traverse this fall, attending Camp Royale and Camp Big Bay in the Upper Peninsula when she was younger, and her many trips to Canada

A celebration of Mary's life will take place on her 56th birthday, October 29 at 1:00 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church in Traverse City. When people who knew Mary hear of her death, they all say, "I will never forget her beautiful smile."

Mary's extended family all live in Canada. She spent many happy days there with her grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. For that reason we will take her there for a memorial service that will be held in a small village church at Leith, Ontario and she will be buried there in the church grounds, with her much loved family members who have gone before her.

As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions in memory of Mary may be made to the BrickWays Foundation. Thank you to everyone who helped make Mary's life complete.

Kindly share your thoughts and memories of Mary by way of her online guestbook at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com .

The family is being cared for by Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services.