MAUREEN FRANCES McCANN artist, musician, poet, humorist, philosopher, counselor, inventor, designer and explorer, left Earth at 11:44 p.m. on September 26, 2013. She made that gentle journey from her own bed in her parents' Interlochen, MI home, within a circle of love formed by her fiancé Peter Sorrell and her family. She was exactly 48 years and five months old.
Maureen was born April 26, 1965 in Royal Oak, MI to Beverly Ann (Reid) McCann and Hugh Wray McCann. She composed her first song at the age of three, while strumming her big sister Karey's guitar: "Oh God, come and be as simple as you can so I won't be afraid. That profound thought was her nature, and she grew up to be fearless: Her brother Christopher once took a photo of her at the Grand Canyon, where she sat casually at the rim of the gorge, her legs dangling into the abyss.
Time did not exist for Maureen. She shunned wearing a watch. Instead, she wore a ring that was a miniature compass. She insisted life was not about time but direction, and now she has found her destiny where time truly does not matter.
Poetic thoughts continually emerged from her perceptive emotion. She would often scribble them upon her mirror, expressed but not meant to be kept, like the rainbows reflected from the crystals she gave to cherished family and friends.
Maureen explored many paths of creative expression during her lifetime, excelling in all but settling for none. She studied violin, guitar, singing and drama, musical composition and costuming at the University of Michigan. She did animation for Disney in London, where she painted Roger in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? She contributed her work to the films Bebe's Kids and Pagemaster; and to the television cartoon series The Ren and Stimpy Show and Two Angry Beavers at Nickelodeon in Studio City, CA.
Maureen branched out into costume design while in California. Whoopi Goldberg's dress form graced a corner of her living room, and one of Maureen's more "famous" creations was the leather trench coat worn by actor Brandon Lee in the role of Eric Draven in the 1994 film The Crow.
Maureen fulfilled her lifetime musical dream in 2009 as a vocalist with a team of respected rock musicians, including members of Maroon 5 , Gomez, Phantom Planet and other bands on the album Operation Aloha recorded in Hana, County Maui, Hawaii.
Maureen was instrumental in building Peter's website and promoting his paintings in Europe and the United States. She also enjoyed overcoming the challenges of refurbishing his home in Sermizelles.
Maureen was a rescuer of unwanted dogs and cats, among them her rescued pets: devoted American Staffordshire terrier, Sugar, and her cats Flip and Nemo. She was an observer and lover of nature. Even more so she loved her family. She was the first to appear in any hour of need and gave unconditionally of her love, resources and talents. She returned to Michigan in the late 1990s to devote her life to full-time care of her grandmother, Angeline Reid in Royal Oak and later in Interlochen, where she also cared for her parents.
Maureen spent many happy hours at thrift shops and filled her basement kingdom with unusual finds many would pass over, as very few people can see the potential in something the way she could.
Recently, when filling out hospital forms regarding her income, Maureen wrote: "I live incredibly simply and do not want for much." And she retained the wonderment of a child, which is so often lost as one grows to adulthood. Wonderment is defined as astonishment, surprise, curiosity and marvel. That was the beauty of Maureen. She held on to an inner core defined by those things, never allowing them to become muddled by the burden of living in a modern world swamped by distractions.
Maureen was famous for her artistic exploration, often leaving a current project unfinished to move on to another, when her creative urge on one plane was satisfied and the challenge of a different realm enticed her. She believed that it was the process and not the product that held the greatest meaning. Her life was the supreme testament to that wisdom, for she left it halfway through, passing on to better adventures, which those she left behind can only imagine.
Maureen was preceded in death by her grandparents Stanley and Angeline (Barnes) Reid, and Dr. Hugh and Anne (Harvey) Wray-McCann; uncles Charles and James Wray-McCann; her aunts Mary (Morrison) Reid and Teresa (Annett) Wray-McCann; cousins Robin Reid and Shane Wray-McCann, and her beloved dog Sugar. She is survived by her fiancé; loving parents; sisters Karey McCann-Goode (Alan Goode) and Eileen (Carl) Ganter; brothers Damien (Isabel Gomes) and Christopher McCann (Patricia Wortham); nieces Anne Raona, Colleen (Raona) Sernick (Dennis), Kira Ganter and Eva McCann; nephews Brandon Raona, her Godson, and Ian McCann; and grandnieces Lucia and Corina Sernick; and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Maureen requested no funeral service. Instead, the family will celebrate her life with a memorial August 2014 during its annual reunion in Interlochen. Details will be available at a later date. Maureen's ashes will be mixed with those of her beloved Sugar and cast into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hana, which holds precious memories for her. Donations in memory of Maureen: Munson Hospice House, 1105 6th St., Traverse City, MI 49684; The Women's Resource Center, 720 S. Elmwood #2, Traverse City, MI 49684 or any Humane Society.