Mary Shane-Bellinger

Mary Frances Bellinger, age 75, passed away peacefully at Ecumen Seasons of Maplewood on the morning of December 16, 2025.

The first of seven children, Mary Frances was a beloved daughter, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, and friend, born to Charles and Shirley Shane on May 21, 1950. Mary grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with her two sisters and four brothers.

From an early age, Mary loved pop music and dancing. She helped her mother with her younger siblings at home and also worked at her father’s pharmacy. She married and divorced twice, and each marriage gave her something that she loved more than anything in the world: her children, David and Scott with David Denton, and Julia with Kenneth Bellinger.

Mary, Ken, and the three kids moved to Minnesota in 1982. Mary and Julia returned to Michigan in 1996. Upon returning to Michigan, Mary worked at Walgreens stores in Portage and Kalamazoo, where she was loved by customers and staff alike, many of whom became lifelong friends.

Mary showed her passion for family by spending as much time as possible with her mom and dad, her aunt Mary Helen, her brothers and sisters, and her nieces and nephews. She maintained a close connection with her in-laws, Dick and Delores, and her sister-in-law, DeAnne (Tom Miller), over the years. Mary dedicated many hours to the church: she volunteered at St. Joseph’s Parish, helping at the Friday-night fish fry, and spent Monday mornings with two friends, cleaning the parsonage and cooking her famous corned-beef hash breakfast for the priests.

Returning to Minnesota in late June 2021 to be closer to her children and grandchildren, she moved into Ecumen Seasons of Maplewood. The proximity let her drive to her kids’ homes, or, when she couldn't, let them visit her. The staff and residents of Ecumen quickly recognized Mary’s outgoing personality and love of life. She soon made friends with Duane, Brian, Carol, Kathy, Bryn, Gabe, Cindy, and Kikki. Mary continued to work for Walgreens in Maplewood until she retired after over 25 years of dedicated service to the drugstore chain.

While Mary went through some rough times, she loved life and lived it to the fullest. Mary loved her family; she cherished it dearly and protected it fiercely. Over the years, wherever she was, she would regularly reach out to her siblings to see how they were doing. Keeping tabs on her children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, and friends was something everyone knew Mary was good at. When she left a voicemail, she always closed with “by the way, it’s Mary, Mom, or Grandma.”

Mary’s pride and joy were her children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. She loved cheering them on at their sporting events, taking walks, going to the zoo, exploring hometown festivals and museums, watching fireworks, going to the movies, or going out to eat. It was common for Mary to arrive with Walgreens bags full of gifts and candies for them. No matter the occasion, Mary would take lots and LOTS of photos, oh so many photos… keeping them all, regardless of the quality, so that she could share the special moments with her friends and family.

Mary’s laughter was contagious, and her warm spirit calmed those around her. She was known for her back scratches, hugs, and quick wit. She loved the colors purple and green, the Minnesota Vikings - chanting SKOL the loudest in the room, and St. Patrick’s Day. Mary also enjoyed snuggling and watching movies, and comedians like Gabriel Iglesias, aka Fluffy, which made her laugh so hard she may or may not have snorted a few times.

Mary’s favorite pastimes included: gardening with her dad early on and then doing the same with her kids and grandkids; spending time at the family cottage swimming and fishing with her family; eating – yes eating, she had a hollow leg enabling her to keep up with her siblings, sons and grandkids in eating contests; calling her family in different states to “warn” them of pending bad weather--Mary loved her weather and Hallmark channels. Her favorite meal was French toast, crispy bacon, hash browns, and sunny-side-up eggs — leaving the egg whites behind. Other favorite foods were her mom’s cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning and cherry pies with Michigan Cherries hand-picked by her dad. Mary was an avid collector of a wide variety of objects, including anything Snoopy or Star Trek, Hallmark ornaments, and stamps. Mary’s favorite word was “amazing”, yes, AMAZING, because she loved life and lived it to its fullest.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Shirley Shane; her brother, John, and sister, Kate; and her mother- and father-in-law, Dick and Delores Denton. She is survived by her children, David, daughter-in-law Ann, Scott (Angela), and Julia (Stephen); her grandchildren Ashley, Breanna, Davina, Jack, Noah, and Trinity; her sister Jean Shane and brothers Michael Shane (Terrence Jezowski), Charlie (Teri) Shane, Richard (Terri) Shane, sister-in-law Brenda Shane, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

The family extends their sincere gratitude to the residents, staff, and Hospice Care Team at Ecumen Season of Maplewood. In lieu of donations, Mary would be thrilled if you would plant a tree or perennial flower in her memory or volunteer your time to a worthy cause.