The War Memorial remains a beacon of hope for California woman
When Mary Dhooge gets a chance to visit The War Memorial, she does so to reminisce about family members and think about days gone by. Even though she resides in California, Dhooge, 78, has a special place in her heart for The War Memorial community.
In the late-1990s, Dhooge and her husband Vic, purchased two bronze garden plaques at The War Memorial. The plaques were positioned near trees which were located in front of the nonprofit organization, along the parking lot.
“It seemed totally fitting when my mother died to dedicate a tree,” Mary Dhooge said. “I remember my dad asked what I was doing. I said it was in honor of Ray and Florence Nigro. He said, ‘are you sure it’s not in memory?’ I said, Dad, you’re still alive. This is in honor of the two of you and you loved that place.” The plaque in honor of Ray and Florence Nigro, was placed by a crabapple tree in what used to be the Fries Garden.
“I wanted to honor and remember them,” Mary Dhooge said. “I thought it would be moving to have a permanent plaque in front of one of the trees in front of The War Memorial. I wanted my dad to be connected and feel at home there, which he did.”
A second bronze plaque, purchased in honor of Mary Dhooge’s sister, Margaret (Nigro) Echlin, and her family - Margaret Nigro, Harry Echlin, Hobey Echlin, Ray Nigro, Lewis Echlin, and Annie Echlin - was placed near a cherry tree. Margaret passed away in 2006. The Echlin family plaque was placed next to that of Ray and Florence Nigro.
Though Mary Dhooge has lived in San Diego, California for 50 years, she spent her formative years in Grosse Pointe Woods and she and her husband graduated from Grosse Pointe High School in 1963. She has many fond memories of her time at The War Memorial. “I would go to the War Memorial dances through junior high and high school,” she said. “Everybody went to the dances. They were a nice way to have a date and go to a dance. When there was a War Memorial dance, you wanted to go. We were constantly looking for the secret War Memorial tunnel under the lake but never found it.”
Describing her father’s appreciation for The War Memorial, Mary Dhooge recalled the story of when he was recently widowed and would come to The War Memorial to sit in repose and reminisce. Her mother passed away in 1996.
“He used to be a boater at the Detroit Yacht Club so every day he would go down the road between the church and The War Memorial and sit for 20 minutes, just so my dad could see the lake,” she said. “He did that every day for maybe two or three years in the last years of his life.”
Upon her father’s death in 2001, Mary Dhooge took a wool hat of his and went to where he would sit.
“I took that hat like a frisbee and launched it into the lake so he could cruise around it for the rest of eternity,” she said.
Mary still takes time to visit The War Memorial’s campus every time she returns to Michigan. She likes to remember the joy her family took from their times at The War Memorial, and these return trips bring her a sense of solace and belonging.
The War Memorial has been a staple in southeast Michigan for 75 years as a place to be and experience life, creating memories of impact, building neighborhoods and fulfilling community bonds. If you’d like to be a part of this story for the next 75 years, consider joining us and #GiveInspired.
The bronze plaques placed in the front garden of The War Memorial were removed when the renovation and expansion began in 2019. With our 75th anniversary in 2024, The War Memorial plans to reinstall plaques on the lakeside of the campus - overlooking the Trial and Veterans Gardens. If you have questions about your family's plaque, please contact The War Memorial.
This Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28, The War Memorial is doing a special campaign, highlighting three individuals to demonstrate the three different aspects of our mission: Dan McCrary for patriotic, Bryan Wilson for cultural, and Dhooge for community.
Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and is touted as a "global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.”