Posted by Newspaper Transcriber on Saturday, October 21, 2006 at 14:06:38 :

Rosemary McGhee

Rosemary McGhee, a 34-year San Gregorio resident, died July 9 at Kaiser Permanente in Redwood City. She was 83.

Mrs. McGhee "was always fun-loving and had a hug and smile for everyone," said daughter Beth Ann McGhee. "Through her gentle nature, she had a profound impact on everyone she met."

She was known for "her ability to forgive and forget," said son Mark McGhee. "Next day, it was water under the bridge."

"Strangers would say (to us), 'Your mom was like a mother to me,'" said daughter Cathy Staal. "She touched people in that way."

Mrs. McGhee was born in Missouri and raised in Sheep Horn Valley, Colo., where for a few years she taught kindergarten through high school in a one-room schoolhouse. She lived briefly in Los Angeles, working as a telephone operator, and married husband John M. McGhee in 1954.

From 1958 to 1961 they lived in Quito, Ecuador, where Mrs. McGhee worked with Catholic Charities, setting up churches and teaching English. They settled in San Gregorio in the early 1970s, where Mrs. McGhee put her husband through getting academic degrees and deaconate training, and raised seven adopted children of different nationalities.

For 34 years, she also was the caretaker at Our Lady of Refuge.

Mrs. McGhee is survived by her husband of 52 years, John M. McGhee; sons Hugo Padilla of Milpitas, John Stewart Thomas McGhee of Santa Clara, Mark Timothy McGhee of Pescadero, Kenneth Martin McGhee of Concord; daughters Justine Marie Bazan of San Jose, Beth Ann McGhee of La Honda, Catharine Frances McGhee Staal of San Gregorio; 13 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; and sister Bonnie Picard of Illinois.

On Wednesday, July 19, visitation will be held at 6:30 p.m. and a Rosary service at 7:30 p.m. at Our Lady of the Pillar Church in Half Moon Bay. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 20, at Our Lady of Refuge in La Honda, followed by interment at Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery in Half Moon Bay.

Half Moon Bay Review and Pescadero Pebble, Wednesday, July 12, 2006