Area businesswoman Mary Barss dies
Resource-Port Huron Times Herald-Feb. 18, 2011
Adventurous, generous woman with a large heart. That's how family and associates hope Mary Barss will be remembered.
Noted in Port Huron as a nurse, businesswoman, sports promoter and political activist, Barss' legacy includes a local care center and the former Birchwood Sports Dome.
The former Mary Margaret Mawhinney, who was born in Detroit in 1931, died Monday in Mesa, Ariz., after a brief illness.
The oldest of six siblings, Barss was attending the Henry Ford School of Nursing when she met Joseph Barss, who was serving his surgical residency.
They married in 1951 and moved soon after to Port Huron, where they raised their three sons and two daughters, all of whom survive.
After the Barsses divorced in the early 1970s, Mary Barss struck out on her own as a businesswoman, said her daughter, Brooke Barss of Burlington, Vt.
"She just loved Port Huron," Brooke Barss said. "She tried to do as many good things as she possibly could do there."
Mary Barss began a residential-care business and, in time, the family home at 4851 Lakeshore Road in Fort Gratiot became Barss Residential Care, now a 40-bed facility still owned by her family.
Mary Barss' business at one time included eight assisted-living facilities in Michigan and Arizona, Brooke Barss said.
Still, Mary Barss always called Port Huron home and spent only her winters in Arizona, her daughter said.
"One of the things she wanted to do was provide a place for families and kids to hang out" in Port Huron, Brooke Barss said. That inspired her mother to launch the Birchwood Sports Dome, which opened in 2000.
Mary Barss decided in May 2004 to close the Keewahdin Road complex, but it remained in operation under different management until 2007.
In addition to a love of hockey, Barss was active in Port Huron community events, political events and the Blue Water Powwow.
"I had the honor of being Mary's secretary for 17 years," said Lisa Fox O'Brien of Port Huron. "She was a one-of-a-kind lady. She could be glamorous, but she wouldn't be afraid to get down to the nitty-gritty and get her hands dirty."
That included reeling in an 80-pound salmon in Alaska when she was in her mid-60s, O'Brien said.
"She was like a second mother to me, really," O'Brien said.
"If you knew Mary, you came to know her whole family," O'Brien said. "Once you became a part of Mary's life, she would never forget you. She helped shape me as the person I am today and taught me to be true to myself and to stand up for what I believe in."
A nursing scholarship is being set up in Barss' name at St. Clair County Community College. A hockey game March 26 between the Red Wings Alumni and the SC4 Foundation will be dedicated to Barss' memory.
A memorial service is planned June 19 in Port Huron.
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Obituary_Port Huron Times Herald-Feb. 18, 2011


Mary M. Barss Mary M. Barss passed peacefully in hospice care in Mesa, Arizona on Monday February 14, 2011 following a brief illness. She lived life to its fullest, pushed every limit and loved others fiercely and deeply. Mary often seemed larger than life itself and the void left in the wake of her passing is vast. She was born Mary Margaret Mawhinney June 19, 1931 to Robert Emmet and Frances Hawke Mawhinney in Detroit, Michigan. Her father worked hard for Chrysler and was her icon of strength and determination even long after his death in 1977. From him, she adopted the Golden Rules of recognizing the best in all and of treating others well and with great respect. From her mother, she mastered the art of cooking for large groups of scheduled visitors or unanticipated drop-bys. She was fun, she was game and she never left a room without creating a big impression. Generous and open hearted, Mary was always willing to offer a helping hand (or to organize many helping hands), and touched countless lives by her enthusiasm and loyalty. Mary was the oldest of 6 siblings: Richard, Sora, Robert, William, and Judy and grew up in Waterford, Michigan on Williams Lake. She valued family beyond all else and delighted in being the "Chief " of her tribe while growing up. She was close to all her brothers and sisters and they will miss their matriarch. Mary attended The Henry Ford School of Nursing on scholarship, and was very proud of her nursing abilities and grateful for the opportunities nursing afforded her. She met Joseph Barss, MD while he was in his surgical residency at Ford, and they married December 29, 1951.They had five children: Joseph, Robert, Brooke, Theodore, and Bethany and resided in Port Huron, Michigan. It was here she established her deepest roots. Mary loved Port Huron, the Great Lakes, and watching freighters navigate beneath the Blue Water Bridge. She was passionate about all things hockey, her community, and the Blue Water Powwow. She loved politics (especially the Democrats!), salty foods, and the smell of White Shoulders perfume. She was beautiful and enchanting, compelling and complicated, and could move as easily through a Presidential Inauguration as down the Indian Trail in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. She loved sharing colorful stories, attending The Phantom of the Opera, and delighted in the company of friends and family. Hard times only inspired greater grit and determination. Following the end of her first marriage, and in a bleak economy, she began Barss Residential Care in the home where she raised her family. Over time, she expanded this business to 8 facilities in 2 states, and set out to provide a home like setting for those who most needed one. She was years ahead of the industry in creating an assisted living environment that was compassionate and respectful of each individual's experience. She invited hundreds of patients to feel like family, and encouraged them through their most difficult times. Her business continues on now through a second generation in its 28th year, and remains committed to her ideals. She is survived by her 5 children and their spouses (Joe and Dasha, Bob and Mary, Brooke and Susan, Ted and Michele, and Bethany and Bob); 5 grandchildren (Sydney, Joey, Meredith, Drew, and Allegra); 5 siblings and their spouses; many beloved nieces and nephews, her long time friend and companion, Fred Harris; and many, many friends. In honor of her memory, an endowed scholarship is being established at the St. Clair County Community College (SC4) in Port Huron. The "Mary M. Barss Nursing Scholarship" will assist a student of nursing each year based upon need and merit. Contributions to this fund can be sent to: SC4 Foundation Attn: David Goetz 323 Erie Street P.O. Box 5015 Port Huron, MI 48061-5015 The Red Wings Alumni vs. SC4 Foundation Hockey Game on Saturday March 26 at 4 p.m. at McMorran Place Arena will be dedicated to Mary Barss. The SC4 Alumni Association sponsors this event, and will also issue nursing scholarship funds. Contributions can be sent to: SC4 Alumni Association Attn. David Goetz 323 Erie Street P.O. Box 5015 Port Huron, MI 48061-5015 Certainly, Mary and her family would appreciate any way you chose to honor her. Her favorite causes included our returning Veterans (particularly those with head injuries); the elimination of homelessness or hunger; and the Humane Society. A celebration of Mary's life will take place in Port Huron, Michigan on June 19th, 2011. Details will be in the Sunday paper on June 12, 2011 or please call Barss Residential at 801 385-3185.