Lorette Marie McGee

She was born on May 22, 1930 in Cleveland, Ohio to Cornelius and Loretta Devine. Her only sibling, Neil, was born three years later. As part of a large, extended Irish-Catholic family, she held a special connection to her many aunts and uncles. At a young age, she won a Shirley Temple lookalike competition and was known as the “flower of the flock” by her family. She attended St Patrick’s Elementary School, St Joseph’s High School, and graduated from Ursuline College in Cleveland in 1953, earning a bachelor of science degree in home economics. 

In 1954, while at a wedding, she met Captain Arthur McGee (US Air Force). They immediately fell deeply in love and she accepted Arthur’s proposal for marriage on their first date. Their subsequent 46 years of happiness together proves that love at first sight does exist. 

Married on June 11, 1955, they spent their first years as a married couple in Wiesbaden, Germany, where they welcomed their first child, Ann Marie. They later moved to Redondo Beach, California where their second daughter, Kathleen, was born. After departing the service, Arthur worked for IBM in upstate New York where their third child, James, was born. 

Lorette always loved California—and hated the cold of the East Coast. In 1963, she and Arthur eagerly accepted the opportunity to move to the Bay Area and work for Stanford Research Institute, later SRI International. In 1965, they moved to Atherton—where Lorette remained until her passing—making her one of Atherton’s longest tenured residents. 

They welcomed their fourth and fifth children, Joseph and Noreene, in the years following the move to Atherton.

Lorette’s life centered around her family and her friends. Her dedication to being a mother made her beloved by her children’s friends—and she developed a close group of people for whom she served as a second mother. As a mom, she tirelessly worked to raise her children while also taking care of her own mother. Not only did she cook for eight people, she also insisted on scrubbing the floors of the house on her hands and knees every day. 

One of her great joys was to drink tea and read the newspapers of the day. She daily read the San Francisco Chronicle from the first page to the last as well as every neighborhood paper. She further loved being surrounded by family and friends at parties and gatherings, frequently commenting that she was so happy to be at the center of these events. Additionally, she was a devout Catholic and longtime member of Saint Denis church in Menlo Park. 

She also found time to contribute to causes she found important. She volunteered at Las Lomitas School, supported the religious education program at St Denis, and supported a letter writing campaign for deployed soldiers.

Starting in 1989, she fully embraced her role as grandmother, delighting as the family grew over time to include 13 grandchildren and one great grandchild. 

In 2001, the love of her life, Arthur passed away suddenly. She dealt with this staggering loss with strength and determination. She redoubled her commitment to her children and grandchildren, playing an influential role in their development and growth. 

For the last twenty years, Lorette lived with and eventually was cared for by her daughter, Noreene, and her husband, Battista. Lorette watched their family grow to include two boys, bringing her much joy in her later years.

To each of her children and grandchildren she passed on a spirit of fierce determination and grit, an abiding sense of fairness, a love of the underdog, and an exceptionally quick wit. While she is remembered for many wonderful qualities, she is probably best remembered in her later years for her rapid fire intellect and ability to turn a phrase and make people laugh. For while her body grew weaker as she aged, her mind never lost its acuity. 

She is survived by her children including: Ann Marie (Rick) Jewell of Menlo Park, California, Kathleen Masket of Los Altos, California, James (Natalie) McGee of Redwood City, California, Major General Joseph (Catherine) McGee of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Noreene (Battista) Perea of Atherton, California.

Her grandchildren: Sara Janczewski and Rachel Jewell, Michael, Raissa, and Diane Masket, Madeleine, Kevin, and Marie McGee, Patrick, Aidan, and Emma McGee, Brendan and Ryan Perea. Her great-grandchild: Kit Marie Janczewski.

 In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made on Lorette’s behalf to Catholic Charities USA whose website is: HYPERLINK "http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/"www.catholiccharitiesusa.org.

On Thursday (15 June), from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., there will be a visitation held at Crippen and Flynn Funeral Home with a vigil service at 5:30 p.m. (400 Woodside Road, Redwood City, Ca). On Friday (16 June) at 2 p.m., there will be a Funeral Mass at St Denis Church (2250 Avy Ave, Menlo Park, Ca). Immediately following Mass, her burial will be held at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery (1975 Santa Cruz Ave, Menlo Park).