Marcella Elizabeth LaReau

Marcella was born in Petoskey, Michigan on Sept. 4, 1929, the daughter of Edward F. Staffeld and Nora (Hebert) Staffeld.

Marcella grew up amid the Great Depression, as her family moved frequently while her father constantly sought work. She spent her teen years amid World War 2. She and her two siblings lived in Charlevoix for a while, where she had other family including an aunt who owned The Parkside restaurant there. But by her teen years, the family had moved and settled in Detroit where she attended St. Theresa High School, which has since closed.

When Marcella was 15, she went to a friend’s brother’s birthday party where she met 20-year-old Navy serviceman, Robert Patrick LaReau. Despite the age difference, Robert told his best friend later that night of Marcella, “I’m going to marry that girl.” The two did indeed unite in marriage on July 9, 1949. They were married 58 years until Robert, 81, died on April 4, 2007.

Right before Marcella’s wedding, her mother went to the hospital for a routine procedure and tragically died at age 42. Her father remarried later that year to Ruth and the two started a family giving Marcella three addition half-sisters: Kathryn, Margaret, and Vicki. Marcella’s father died in 1978 and Ruth died July 3, 2024, just weeks away from turning 102 and days before Marcella’s passing.

Marcella was a talented artist who studied art briefly in college, hoping to design clothing. She ended up pursuing a career first at Burton Abstract and Title Co. as a bookkeeper and then a manager at J.S. Caulder Co. managing the business. Still, Marcella was always glamourous with an eye for fashion, wearing beautiful one-of-kind dresses, high heels and her signature red lipstick.

By the early 1960s, Marcella and Robert bought a house in Livonia and in 1969 welcomed a daughter, Jamie Lynn.

A lover of animals, Marcella had a Springer Spaniel dog named Jimmy-Jay of Huntersfield (Jay) who lived and worked with her at the office. She and Robert also had a total of five beloved cats over the course of their marriage and she had eight “grand pets.”

A life-long Catholic, Marcella was a member of St. Aiden’s church in Livonia and taught religious education there for many years.

Always a positive person with an inquisitive mind, Marcella took her daughter and her niece, Laura (Staffled) Ingham, to Toronto to see the King Tut Exhibit in the early 1980s. She traveled with her daughter and sister, Marcheta, to the Chicago Art Museum. She went with her daughter to Washington, D.C. to tour The White House, among other attractions. She also helped her daughter move to New York City in 2000.

Marcella was a resilient, generous, thoughtful and kind woman beloved by everyone who met her right up to the end.

She is survived by her daughter Jamie Lynn LaReau, her brother Paul (Joan) Staffeld, and half-sisters, Kathryn (Jerry) Bryan, Margaret Staffeld, and Vicki (Rocco) Pisto. Marcella’s nieces and nephews Richard (Deborah) Fritz, Ronald Fritz, Judy (Dan) Quye, Nancy (Michael) Martinez, Charles (Denise) Staffeld, Laura (Ray) Ingham, Brian Staffeld, Lesley (Christopher) Bradley, Jerry (Tracy) Bryan Jr., Jonathan (Jenny) Bryan, Philip Pisto, and Virginia Pisto. Marcella’s great-nieces and nephews include: Jill (James) Bowman, Michelle (Zane) Kearney, Madeline Martinez, Carter Staffeld, Brooke Staffeld Schafer, Charlie Staffeld, Jackson Bryan, Bennett Bryan, and Kennedy Bryan.

In addition to her parents and her husband, Marcella was preceded in death by her sister Marcheta (Dick) Fritz, who died June 29, 1997. Her younger brother Paul Staffeld lives in Farmington, Michigan.

Marcella is in the care of Harry J. Will Funeral Home, 37000 W. Six Mile, Livonia. A visitation for Marcella will be held Monday, July 29, 2024 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. A memorial service will be Tuesday, July 30. 2024 at 11 a.m. at Harry J. Will-Livonia.

In Lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Marcella's honor to Friends of Animals for Metro Detroit or Michigan Humane Westland.

https://www.metrodetroitanimals.org/

https://www.michiganhumane.org/westland-location/

To order flowers, if you would like to use a local florist please contact: Cardwell Florist (734) 421-3567 located at: 32109 Plymouth Rd, Livonia, MI 48150