Maria Frances McNally. Age 92.Died on June 24, 2013 at Rivergate Convalescent Center in Riverview, Michigan, where she lived for 13 months.Miss McNally was a resident of Dearborn for more than 70 years before moving to an assisted-living facility five years ago.
She was born the fifth of six children on January 27, 1921 in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, to Walter and Helena (nee: Lally) McNally, and then moved to the Detroit area following her graduation from a business school in Pennsylvania after death of her parents.

Maria became a secretary at Ford Motor Company and was promoted quickly to become a legal secretaryon the prestigious "Mahogany Row"on the upper floor of Ford's World Headquarters, where she worked for more than 35 years.Her involvement at the highest levels of the company are revealed in the book, "Ford: The Dust and the Glory," which includes a chapter named after her.

After her retirement from Ford in 1981 , Miss McNally worked and volunteered for various levels of the Catholic Church where she had always been active. For many years she was director of music at St. Joseph Church in Dearborn.She also played the organ at other local parishes in the Detroit area, and worked for several years in the archives department in the chancery at the Archdiocese of Detroit.

She was preceded in death by four brothers; Walter, Thomas, William and Joseph; and one sister, Patsy Shang.She is survived by many nieces and nephews who live in metro Detroit, as well as in her hometown of Sharpsville.

Instate Thursdayat St. Joseph Catholic Church, 16101 Rotunda Dr, Dearborn, Michigan 48120, 10:00 a.m. until the time of Mass at 11:00 a.m. Her cousin, Fr. Thomas Cusick, will be the celebrant.

Instate Friday at St. Bartholomew Church, 311 West Ridge Avenue, Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, 8:30 a.m. until the time of Mass at 9:30 a.m.

Interment will be Friday, June 28th at St. Mary Cemetery in Pennsylvania.