Patricia Mccarthy

PATRICIA GAVIN MCCARTHY April 1, 1929 - Oct. 27, 2010 Patricia McCarthy, 81, died peacefully at home on Oct. 27, 2010, with her family at her side. Her death followed a brief illness after a fall at home on October 16, 2010. Pat was born in Nutley, NJ, the daughter of Loretta Cloughessy Gavin and William Gavin, both of Brooklyn, NY. She grew up in Conshohocken, PA, attended St. Mary's Academy in Philadelphia, and graduated from Chestnut Hill College in 1951 with a degree in French Literature. Pat met her husband of 53 years, Charles, when they were both working in the research department at Philco Corporation in Philadelphia. They married in 1957 and were blessed with four daughters within five years. They are Loretta van der Bie of Irvine, CA, Maggie Stoeffel of Whitefish Bay, WI, Liz McCarthy of South Orange, NJ, and Kate McCarthy of Chico, CA. In addition to her husband and daughters, Pat is survived by her four sons-in-law; eight grandchildren and many loving nieces and nephews. Her sister and three brothers predeceased her. Pat and her family called many communities home during her adult life - including Ambler and Malvern, PA, Boxford, MA, Barrington, IL, Santa Ana, CA, Chagrin Falls, OH, London, England, and Palm Coast, FL - before retiring to Chico in 2005. Everywhere she lived, Pat was an active member of her community and her parish, committed to social justice and service. For a number of years she led religious services as a prison ministry volunteer in the Santa Ana men's and women's jails. Most recently, she served at both the Shalom Free Clinic and the Torres Community Shelter in Chico. Her home was always open to anyone who needed a place to live, whether it was a multi-year stay by a family who fled Vietnam in 1975, or brief visits from her daughter's college friends too far from home to travel for the holidays. An amateur historian and a crossword whiz with a remarkably broad storehouse of knowledge, Pat had a successful run as a quiz show champion on two occasions; first on NBC's Tic-Tac-Dough in the late 1950's and then, with her daughter, Liz on Bill Cullen's Blockbusters in 1981. Cullen referred to Pat as the finest quiz show participant he had witnessed in his long career in that field. A Memorial Mass will be held at Our Divine Savior Church, 566 E. Lassen Ave., Chico, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 13, 2010. A Memorial service will also be held at Daylesford Abbey in Paoli, PA on December 11, 2010 at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Shalom Free Clinic. 1190 East First Ave., Chico. CA 95926.