Mary Lockwood

Mary Helen Lockwood (Kramer), 96, passed away peacefully of natural causes on May 30, 2025, at The Oaks in Belmont, Michigan. Born on September 23, 1928, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she was the beloved daughter of Frederick William Kramer Sr. and Marjorie Caroline Kramer (DeClarke). Mary grew up in Eastown, Grand Rapids, first at the Kramer home on Lake Drive before moving to Robinson Road after the Great Depression. A short time after graduating from Ottawa Hills High School, she married her love, William McEacheron Lockwood Sr. on June 27, 1949. The couple would later settle on Lake Grove Ave SE in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, which Mary would make her home for over seven decades. They shared a loving marriage raising their family together until William's passing just before Christmas in the winter of 1972. As Mary often said, "We had a real, true love story and I never wanted anybody else." She carried that love deep in her heart for the 53 years that followed. Mary was a woman of fierce independence who devoted herself to her family and her home. She worked several different jobs but ultimately landed as a secretary at Cadence newspaper, where she found immense satisfaction from her work and her relationships with her coworkers. Following retirement, she volunteered her time at the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, which gave her a renewed purpose and some great new friends. Throughout her life, Mary pursued many passions that brought her joy. She was an avid ice skater, loved playing the organ (attending classes regularly), and filled her home with music at all times by listening to records and singing. She also loved to read every autobiography she could get her hands on from her local library. She is survived by her two children: Susan Signor (Mark) and William Lockwood Jr; five grandchildren: Katie Gentry (Kyle), Steven Signor (Andrea), Ryan Lockwood (fiancé Caitlin Kehoe), Amber Eiko (Robert), and Alexander Riley; and three great-grandchildren: Simon Signor, Charlotte Signor, and Olivia Eiko. She was preceded in death by her husband William Sr., her parents Frederick and Marjorie Kramer, her brother Frederick William Kramer Jr. (1979) and her sister Sally Ann Bettiga (2016). Her brother Carl "Dee" DeClarke Kramer followed her, passing away just three days after her. She was cremated and laid to rest alongside her beloved husband William in the Kramer family plot at Greenwood Cemetery in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Emmanuel Hospice, who provided compassionate care during Mary's final months and days. (click the link below to donate online) There will be no formal funeral service, but Mary will be missed immensely by her family. Her grandson Ryan will especially cherish the life lessons she taught him and he will hold their conversations in his heart forever.