Pauline McGowan
Pauline McGowan died peacefully on April 7, 2017 in San Mateo at the age of 95. She was raised in Zeigler, Illinois in a large and loving family. She attended Southern Illinois University until WWII when she began working as an executive secretary. She met William C. McGowan in San Francisco, and they married at Carmel Mission in 1949. Pauline and Bill raised six children, living in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, and eventually Burlingame. Pauline enjoyed being a homemaker, and excelled at cooking, entertaining, and keeping her large family organized. She enjoyed bridge, crossword puzzles, Giants baseball, restoring antiques, the Notre Dame Wives Club, and being involved at Kohl Mansion and parish and school activities at Our Lady of Angels. Always helpful, she volunteered to visit nursing homes, and to tutor children. Bill and Pauline were also active volunteers in the Foundation for International Cooperation, and served as co-presidents of the Northern California Chapter, welcoming many foreign visitors to the Bay Area and their home, and setting up educational and cultural tours. In turn, they visited many countries, enjoying similar hospitality and making lifelong friends. In 1998, Pauline suffered her first stroke, and she and Bill moved to the Magnolia of Millbrae. After a second stroke, she lived at Brookside Skilled Nursing Hospital in San Mateo. The family would like to thank the staff at Brookside for their tender care of our Mom.
Pauline was predeceased by her husband, Bill. She is survived by her children Charles, William Jr, Sean, Mary (Mike Hall), Anne (Jeff Geddes), Elizabeth (Chuck Kabala), grandchildren Anne Kabala McEnroe (Colin McEnroe), Matthew Kabala, and great-grandson Marcus McEnroe, and many nieces and nephews. Pauline was a devoted wife and mother, a kind and gracious person, and she will be greatly missed.
A Memorial Mass will be held at Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church, 1721 Hillside Drive, Burlingame, at 11 am on Friday, April 21. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Samaritan House, 4031 Pacific Blvd, San Mateo 94403.