Sally Downey

Sally Ann Downey was born on May 30, 1927 to her parents, the late Walter Bastien and Loretta (nee Gibbs) Bastien-Pelkey, and passed away in Livonia on December 2, 2022.  Sally was preceded in death by her dear husband, John Patrick, who died in 1974 and a loving daughter, Marlene Gismond who died in 2021.  She is survived by two daughters, Linda (Donald) Gottleber and Kelly (Gary) Foxworth. 

Also surviving are her beloved grandchildren, Derek (Jackie) Gismondi, Kyle Gismondi, John (Vanessa) Foxworth, and Claire Foxworth and great grandchildren Adelyn Gismondi, Lucas Gismondi, Hadley Gismondi and Kit Foxworth.  Her dear son-in-law Tony Gismondi also survives.

Sally was born in Canada and moved to southwest Detroit at an early age.  She attended Holy Redeemer High School.  Married John Downey at eighteen and raised three children.  She was a Brownie and Girl Scout Leader and a charter member of the Pathfinders.  In 1954, Sally became a licensed beautician and worked at Bonnie’s Beauty Parlor in Allen Park.  She loved reading, cooking, gardening, decorating, entertaining, traveling, camping and spent summers at Camp Dearborn.  She also enjoyed playing bingo, her trips to the casinos and never missed buying her weekly lottery tickets.

Later on in life, Sally decided to enroll in Nursing School and graduated in 1972 as a Registered Nurse, at age 45.  She spent her nursing career at the V.A. Hospital in Dearborn.  After her retirement, she volunteered at Henry Ford Hospital Fairlane as blood pressure screening nurse.  Sally was a resident of Allen Park for over 60 years.  She most recently resided at Marycrest Heights Independent Living in Livonia for the past 6.5 years.  She will be missed by all who knew and loved her, including all her wonderful friends at Marycrest Heights.

Sally left us this quote written on a notepad:   “Don’t Cry Because it’s Over, Smile Because it Happened”.

The family is planning a private funeral service to be held at a later date.