Madonna Jeanne Fedewa

Madonna Jeanne Fedewa passed away peacefully at age 77 on July 10, 2026, in Okemos, Michigan.

Madonna was born prematurely on June 22, 1949, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Norman A. and Agnes G. (Murphy) Fedewa of Lansing, and remained in Milwaukee with her mother while gaining weight and strength. Her homecoming as “Miss Lansing” was memorialized in the Lansing State Journal in August of that year, at which time she weighed in at a robust five pounds. It was soon discovered that Madonna, and other “preemies” like her, had been blinded as a result of high-concentration oxygen in infant incubators, a practice that was not corrected until the mid 1950s.

Madonna graduated from St. Joseph School in Newark, New Jersey in 1964, and completed high school in 1968 at the Michigan School for the Blind in Lansing, followed by some course work at Siena Heights College in Adrian, Michigan.

Madonna’s musical talent emerged at an early age. Her brothers remembered her as a toddler, reaching over her head to play the keys on the piano in the family’s living room. She excelled in music lessons, vocally and on the piano, and recalled the many musical events at the Michigan School for the Blind, both in the orchestra and with Stevie Wonder, who attended at the same time. It was an exciting time, not without its challenges. Even among her blind schoolmates, there was a sometimes painful hierarchy dominated by those who had any light perception, which Madonna did not. Mobility and directionality were far more challenging for those without it, but she persisted. Her personal mental health journey came to a head while struggling to succeed at Sienna Heights, and Madonna retreated for a time into private life. In the 1980s she attended mobility refresher courses at the Michigan Commission for the Blind in Kalamazoo, and ultimately relocated to Hope Network in Grand Rapids for over twenty years, where she became lifelong friends with eight other individuals with similar issues.

Adept at Braille, and gifted with an outstanding memory for dates and event details (which often included the menus and her favorite foods) Madonna typed many a letter to her brothers after they left Michigan. In conversations with family and friends over the years, she was always curious and never failed to ask about their lives and adventures, and what they ate for dinner.  She read voluminously in Braille, and could hold her own in conversations, sometimes citing a particularly timely article she came across in Fortune Magazine or other publications. Her insights and advocacy for those facing blindness, mental illness, and disabilities characterized much of her life. She was admired by family members and others for her cheerful outlook, faith, and fighting spirit, which helped her overcome many of life’s struggles.

After a life-threatening illness in 2011, Madonna relocated to long-term nursing care at Ingham County Medical Care Facility (Dobie Road) in Okemos. She soon became known for her conversational interest in the lives of her care providers, her unvarnished quirky frankness, her sense of humor, and especially for the industrial strength hugs which she solicited affectionately and frequently from everyone who helped her over the years. Because she was such a grateful long-term resident, she became a unique and longstanding part of the daily life at Dobie Road. It was a joy and a privilege, said many, to have known her.

Madonna was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Philip Fedewa (2011), Stanley Fedewa (2014), and Lawrence Fedewa (2025); as well as her nephew-in-law, Mary-Ellen’s husband, Rupert Wyard (2018).  She is survived by:  sisters-in-law, Marilyn Fedewa and Theresa Fedewa; nieces and nephews, Kristine (Harry) Scarff, Kirsten Fedewa, Mary-Ellen (Rupert) Wyard, Eric (Ritika) Fedewa, John (Nirali) Fedewa, Scott (Katherine) Fedewa, and Jonathon (Carie Ann) Fedewa; as well as many cousins, grandnieces and a grandnephew.

The Funeral Service will be celebrated on August 19, 2026, at 1:00 pm, at Estes Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel, 325 W. Washtenaw St. in Lansing, with the Rite of Committal to follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Lansing.  Madonna’s family will receive friends at the funeral home beginning at 12:30 pm that day.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Madonna’s memory to the Dobie Road Foundation (whose focus is to “enhance and improve the quality of life and environment for the residents, staff, families, and volunteers at the Ingham County Medical Care Facility”), St. Martha’s Parish (whose priests, staff and volunteers faithfully served Madonna’s spiritual needs over the years), or The Tri-Star Charitable Foundation (supporting young adults facing challenging transitions as they age out of foster care, many of who face mental health concerns).  Online condolences may be left for her family at www.EstesLeadley.com.