Margaret Ann Orlando

On March 24, 2025, our family’s Head Leprechaun took her leave of this world to be with Joe, her beloved husband of 65 years, and her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. After Joe passed earlier this year, Margaret missed his presence, and she patiently waited for him to come and take her home. Margaret Ann Orlando (nee Dorcey) was a soft-spoken woman who, more than once, for more than one, was able to calm the anxious – she will be missed. Family. Lots and lots of family. Margaret was blessed with a large family, and she loved her sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She spent hours each day looking at her Skylight frame loaded with family photos that brought a smile to her face. Margaret is survived by: Ken (Carrie) Orlando, Tim (Karen) Orlando, Paul (Susan) Orlando, Mark (Cindy) Orlando, Steve (Lisa) Orlando, Matt (Monica) Orlando, Chris Orlando, and Jeff (Carrie) Orlando. Margaret was the proud and loving grandmother of Caitlin (Nigel) Orlando-Salez, Alex (Alexis) Orlando, Nick (Jordan) Orlando, Kathryn Orlando and Matthew Spaly, Emily (Charles) Cane, Olivia Orlando, Brian Orlando, Colin (Ashley) Orlando, Erick Orlando, Sarah Orlando, Jacob Orlando, Claire Orlando, Grace Orlando, Benjamin Orlando, Patrick Orlando, Cheyenne Orlando, Connor Orlando, and Madeleine Orlando. She also leaves behind five great-grandchildren, Gabriel Orlando, Dagny Orlando, Leo Orlando, Eva Orlando-Spaly, and Blake Orlando. Her nieces and nephews and their children are too numerous to count, but they all had a special place in her heart, as did her loving sister, Mary Brack (nee Dorcey). She was pre-deceased by her husband Joseph, her parents, Patrick Dorcey and Alice (nee Mould) Dorcey, and her great-grandson, Rory Orlando-Spaly. Shannon L. Alder said that you should “Carve your name on hearts, not gravestones. A legacy is written into the minds of others and the tales they share about you.” That is exactly what Margaret did during her life. She was born on June 8, 1939, and she was the baby of her family, trailing behind three older brothers (Gerry, Frank and Ed) and two older sisters (Mary and Rita). Margaret had a passion for education that she shared with her children and grandchildren. After graduating from St. David High School in 1957 Margaret took a hiatus from her formal education and instead enrolled in the school of life (from which she earned a PhD). She later joined her son, Mark, in 1984 when they attended St. Mary’s College together. Margaret graduated four years later with dual majors in Theology and Psychology, following which she earned a Master of Arts from Marygrove College. The early years of Margaret’s marriage to Joe were filled with raising her children, but that never stopped her from actively pursuing other interests. She crocheted countless afghans and Christmas stockings, she was an accomplished cake decorator, she was a voracious reader of periodicals, novels, and books of faith, and to help feed her growing brood, she taught herself how to can and freeze whatever came out of her father’s farm on Burnsline Road or her husband’s garden on Shady Drive. She believed that her boys needed to know “bachelor survival skills”, so everyone was taught how to cook meals, clean the house, thread a needle for emergency repairs, do laundry (including ironing), balance a checkbook, etc. A cradle Catholic, Margaret shared her faith with her family, friends, and acquaintances. From an early age she instilled in her boys the importance of practicing their faith. The Orlando Family took up the entire first row at St. Louise for many years, and for the better part of 20 years the Orlando boys were fixtures as altar servers. Margaret was a religious education teacher who was dubbed “Pope Marge” by her teen group. Margaret was sought out by both the laity and the clergy as a Spiritual Director operating under the auspices of Spiritual Solutions, LLC. As her children grew and became more self-sufficient, Margaret gave back to the community by taking leadership roles in Marriage Encounter, Children are Precious, Call To Action, and Tri-County Celiac Support Group. Margaret was fiercely proud of her Irish heritage, and for more years than you can count she hosted a massive St. Patrick’s Day party for family and friends; a tradition that has since been carried on by Paul and Susan. Large holiday gatherings held a special place in Margaret’s heart. She loved to be surrounded by her family, and she took pride in the fancy, but simple, meals that were shared on Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Margaret loved to travel and see what the world had to offer. Visiting Ireland checked an important item off her bucket-list, but one of her favorite trips was to Sicily where she was treated like royalty with special meals at every stop along their tour. Through a letter-writing campaign organized by their youngest son, Jeff, Margaret and Joe traveled to Rome where they were able to shake Pope Francis’s hand after attending his weekly audience. The Orlando family invites you to join us as we both celebrate Margaret’s life and say good-bye to her. Visitation will be Friday, April 4, 2025, 2:00-9:00 pm with a Scripture Service at 7:00 pm at Wasik’s Funeral Home, 49150 Schoenherr Road, Shelby Twp., Michigan 48315. Funeral will be Saturday, April 5, 2025, at 11:00 am at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, 40501 Hayes Road, Sterling Heights, Michigan 48313. She will be interred at Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton Township. A memorial luncheon will follow the funeral at Fern Hill County Club. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Margaret’s memory to Traditional Redemptorist Missioners, c/o Holy Redeemer House, 15959 Bryce Road, Mussey, Michigan 48014-2906, https://redemptoris.org/donate; Manresa Jesuit Retreat House, 1390 Quarton Road, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48304, https://www.manresa-sj.org/donate/; or Solanus Casey Center, 1780 Mount Elliott St, Detroit, Michigan 48207, https://www.solanuscasey.org/help-us-serve/donate/.

Margaret Ann Orlando

June 8, 1939 - March 24, 2025