On Tuesday, December 18th, 2018, Mary (Whittington) Bickham, passed away quietly with her family by her side at North Ottawa Community Hospital in Grand Haven, MI, due to complications from a recent stroke. Mary was born on September 8, 1941 in Leighton Buzzard, United Kingdom, to 'Dick' and 'Jackie' (Hance) Whittington. As a child, Mary"s home was Brampton Bryon, a small village on the Welsh border. However, during the school year she attended the Adcote School for Girls. A boarding school in Baschurch England. After graduation she moved to London where she volunteered with the British Red Cross, worked as a runner at the London Stock Exchange and as a seamstress at an upscale dress shop. Though she spent most of her adulthood in the US, she was most definitely 'British'. She took great pride in her heritage and never lost her wonderful English accent. She delighted in taking her children and beloved husband back to visit her home at Brampton Bryon and regaling friends and family alike with some of her oldest memories of living on the British Isle during WWII. She met her future husband, John Bickham, on a blind date in London, while he was stationed there with the USAF. They fell in love and were married befoe moving to John's hometown of Bay City, MI in 1962. It was in Bay City that Mary found a second home, and where she and John raised their four children, Mark, Andy, Danny and Jenny at their home on Erie St. Although she was mother to 4, she was a MOM to many. Quick with a smile and a hug when needed, she opened her home to all. An exceptional cook, the family home on Erie street, was always open to family and friends alike, at any time day or night. When preparing meals she became so accustomed to friends and neighbors showing up that she would always prepare enough to feed unannounced guests. She was a lifelong fan of golf, a voracious reader, and found great joy in watching the Westminster Dog Show, Kentucky Derby and her favorite drama, NCIS. After the death of her husband in 2014, she moved to Grand Haven where she continued to be a caring and considerate mother her children and friend to those who were fortunate enough to know her. Mary was preceded in death by her parents Dick and Jackie, her husband John, her eldest son Mark, grandson Shawn, and great-grand daughters, Ava and Harper. She is survived by her sisters Sue, Liz, Sarah, and brother Jamie, children Andy and wife Lianne, Daniel, and Jennifer and her partner Jon, her grandsons Mark, Eric, Chris, (Johnathan) Chad, Winston, Jamie and Isaac, and her granddaughters Nichole, and Abby. She has 8 great grandchildren and 1 great, great grandchild. She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed. Due to the holiday season, and great distances that the many family and friends would have to travel to attend, a memorial 'barbecue' will be held in the Spring of 2019, date and location to be determined. In lieu of flowers, the family requests expressions of sympathy to be made on her behalf to any of the following charities: gofundme.com/mary-bickham-memorial-barbeque International or American Red Cross Detroit Children's Hospital