Winifred McCaffrey

In loving memory of Winifred Mae Stehle Woltering McCaffrey who died October 28, 2020 of congestive heart failure in the loving care of her daughter and son- in- law Deirdre and Patrick Morgan. Born October 3, 1925, Wini was a woman of grit, compassion and love. She and her first husband, Don Woltering, had three children, Dennis, David and Deirdre. The young family lived in Venezuela, South America for ten years, then settled in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Wini showered her children with unconditional love, celebrated their achievements, encouraged their interests, gave them direction, and always provided them with a warm inviting home. She worked at Stanford University for over 30 years where she was the department administrator for several different departments over time including Anthropology and Family Medicine. Years after her first marriage ended, she married anthropologist John McCaffrey and followed him to Zambia, Africa when he received a teaching position at the University of Zambia. Wini wrote about her two, sometimes terrifying, but adventurous years there in what was essentially a war zone in her first book, Gule Wamkulu – The Big Dance. Years later, she wrote a second book, Meet Me In St. Louis, a series of fascinating, mostly auto- biographical short stories based on her life adventures, the people she loved, those who loved her and the influences in her life. Wini McCaffrey leaves an indelible impact on all who knew and loved her. She will be remembered as a devoted mother, grandmother and great grandmother who encouraged all of us to believe in ourselves, to pursue our dreams and to be open minded, passionate and adventurous as we encounter life’s challenges and opportunities.

Wini is survived by her sons, Dennis Woltering ( wife, Carol), David Woltering ( wife Nancy), her daughter, Deirdre Morgan ( husband, Patrick), grandchildren Denise WolteringVargas ( husband, Ricardo), Kristen Woltering, Caitlin Morgan Hagerty ( husband, Michael), Kevin Morgan ( wife, Megan), Nicholaus Woltering, Christopher Woltering ( wife, Zoë), great grandchildren Belisa Woltering Vargas, Carlie Woltering, Dennis Vargas Woltering and Hazel Ann Hagerty.