Margaret McSweeney
June 14, 1924 - Oct 1, 2020
A family loses its Treasure Margaret Emily Dickerman McSweeney of Menlo Park – known as “Treasure” to her grandchildren – passed away peacefully on October 1st at the age of 96. She died in the home where she lived for more than six decades, and rejoined her beloved husband, Bob, son Dennis, and twin sister Harriet, who predeceased her.
Margaret leaves behind sons Robert and Kevin McSweeney ( Elaine), and grandchildren Kimberly Youngman ( Larry) and Brian McSweeney ( Ciara). She also had five great- grandchildren - Robert ( Sarah), Jada, Hannah, Brendan, Aiden - and two great- greatgrandchildren, Emmitt and Owen. She also is survived by nephews Stuart Heard ( Alice) and Stacey Heard ( Colleen) and nieces Marcia Antipa ( Ron) and Marguerite Brown ( Duncan).
Margaret and her twin sister Harriet were born on Flag Day, June 14, 1924, in Berkeley, to Harry and Marguerite Dickerman. The Dickermans soon moved to the family fruit ranch in Milpitas. There, Harriet and Margaret ran through the orchards with their dogs, and spent summers helping to prepare the dried apricots for market.
The girls attended St. Patrick Elementary School in San Jose and graduated from Notre Dame San Jose High School in 1942. The twins were known for their love of music, and sang together in church choirs, school performances, and on local radio.
During the turmoil of World War II, Margaret and Harriet attended college at San Jose State University, and nursing school at the University of California, San Francisco. They also were part of the Cadet Nurse Corps.
In August of 1947, Margaret married the love of her life, Robert McSweeney, who served in the Merchant Marine in World War II, and worked for the SF Newspaper Print Company. The two settled in Menlo Park and were married 65 years, until Bob’s death in 2013. They raised three sons: Robert, Dennis and Kevin.
Margaret spent many years as a labor and delivery nurse at Stanford Hospital. She also was a busy mother and community volunteer. Margaret and Bob helped raise funds to build a new church for the Saint Raymond Catholic Parish.
Her children also vividly remember many Elks Lodge functions, especially the yearly family picnic, the Fashion Show, and the Big Show, for which Margaret created costumes. The McSweeneys spent summers at the family cabin in Twain with BBQ meals and lively games of cribbage and dominoes.
Margaret was an avid, if sometimes frustrated fan of the San Francisco Giants. She may not have missed a single game on television! She took her faith very seriously and generously added anyone who asked to her daily prayer list. We will miss Margaret’s smile, her frequent laugh and her love for her family, but she will live on in our hearts and memories.
Those who wish, may honor Margaret McSweeney with a donation to Notre Dame San Jose High School. Visit ndsj. org/ support- nd or call ( 408) 294- 1113 ext. 2157.