Mary "Patty" Patricia Painter (née Locatelli), age 83, of Ypsilanti, passed away peacefully at her home on September 23, 2025.

Born in Laurium, Michigan, Mary was the daughter of Francis Samuel Locatelli and Martha Alma (Hakala) Locatelli. She attended Sacred Heart Catholic High School in Laurium, MI  and went on to work as a Certified Cook at Old Country Buffet and Crestwood Schools, retiring in 1995.

Mary was a woman who loved music deeply. In her youth, she performed as a 4-octave soprano and was a founder of the Bea Phillips Trio, a Christian music group that released an album in the early 1980s. She delighted in spending her days with word puzzles to keep her mind sharp, and she never met a stranger. Known for her laughter, she shared joy with everyone she encountered. Mary often baked cakes for local police departments as her way of thanking those in uniform. She also enjoyed dice games with her late husband, family game nights, shopping, and watching action- and drama-filled TV shows and movies. Above all, she cherished spending time with her children and grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Garfield Douglas Rowe (September 19, 1985), and her beloved second husband, Charles "Bud" Lesley Painter (October 12, 2021), as well as by her parents, Francis and Alma Locatelli, brother Thomas J. Locatelli, and step-children Charles Painter Jr., Angela Roberts, and Monica Painter.

Mary is survived by her loving children: Gerard (Kimberly) Painter of Canton, MI; Garfield (Dawn McKellar) Rowe of Kearsarge, MI; Tina (David) Moore of Ypsilanti, MI; Audra (Sandy) Mitchell of Methuen, MA; Corinne (Brian) Melo of Grand Island, FL; Brenda Painter of Livonia, MI; Douglas Rowe of Garden City, MI; Marie (Jason) Chappel of Ypsilanti, MI; and bonus daughter Ranee Caskey of Westland, MI. She is also survived by her siblings Johnny, Samuel, Paul, Philip, Anne, Catherine, Clare, Christopher, Rita, Francis Jr., Joan, Michael, Rose, and Veronica; 16 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great-grandchildren.

Mary will also be missed by her best friend, Jacqueline Kyler Sargent, her many extended family and friends, and her special feline companions, Topa and Bjorn, who brought her constant comfort in her final days.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, October 24, 2025, from 10 am to 2 pm at the Ypsilanti Freighthouse, 100 Market Place, Ypsilanti, MI 48198, with Officiant Ranee Caskey presiding.

Memorial contributions may be made in Mary's honor to the charity of the donor's choice.