Mary C. McGorry

Mary Catherine (Ward) McGorry, age 82 of Aurora, passed away peacefully on June 15, 2017, at home surrounded by family, after a brief struggle with Interstitial Lung Disease. Mary was born November 10, 1934 in the City of Fort Dodge, Clare County, Iowa to Catherine Magdeline (Delamore) Ward (1911-2006) and Robert Richard Ward (1911-1997). She was the oldest of six children, of which Martha Ann (Ward) Hopkins (1935-2014) and James Robert Ward (1937-2004) predeceased her, as did both of her parents. Mary is survived by her brother Robert Richard Ward Jr., her sisters Maureen Agnes Ward, and Mona Kay Ward; her four children and their spouses Shannon Mara (McGorry) Hice and husband Matthew Albert Hice of Aurora, Colorado, Catherine ""Kitty"" Mara (McGorry) Martin and husband Daniel Paul Martin of Thornton, Colorado, James Robert McGorry and wife Shannyn (Steele) McGorry of Lakewood, Colorado, and Molly Mara (McGorry) Deak and husband Terrence Deak of Binghamton, New York; her eight grandchildren (in age order) Nathan Albert Hice, Samantha Abigail Martin, Jacob James Hice, Josephine Elinor Martin, Jordan Mara Hice, Wyatt Joseph Deak, Owen James Deak, and Oscar Clayton Deak; her beloved Goddaughter and niece Catherine ""Cathie"" Elizabeth (Ward) Ponce De Leon; plus her ""as good as family"" loved ones Kevin Thomas, his wife Julia (Ezell) Thomas, and their newborn daughter Reagan Jaymes Thomas, and Kevin's older brother Tony Thomas; plus a number of extended family and dear friends. Mary graduated from Saint Mary's School of Nursing, Rochester, Minnesota in July 1956. She worked as an instruction in basic sciences and as clinical nursing instructor at Saint Mary's School of Nursing from July 1956 to September 1958, when she received a Mayo Foundation Award and returned to college for her nursing degree. Then she attended the University of Minnesota from September 1958 to June 11, 1960, graduating from the College of Nursing with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing Education. She was Head of the Section of Clinical Nursing Instruction, Saint Mary's School of Nursing (Mayo Clinic Teaching Hospital), Rochester Minnesota from June 1960 until March 1962. Mary worked in the Intensive Care Unit of the University of Minnesota Hospital from March 1962 until August 1963. She was the education and administrative supervisor of the Recovery Rooms and Intensive Care Units of the University of Florida Hospital (J. Hillis Miller), Gainesville, Florida from August 1963 to December 1964. Then she worked the Intensive Care Private Duty Pool at Presbyterian Hospital, San Francisco, California from January 1965 until being commissioned a Reserve Captain in the Air Force Nurse Corps May 25, 1965. Mary was on Active Duty from July 17, 1965 until April 1, 1968. She worked ICU, Emergency Room and Out Patient Clinical Supervision at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida until she resigned her commission to accompany her husband James Peter McGorry overseas to England in May 1968. Their wedding occurred in the City of Alameda, California, on December 5, 1967, while Jim was on Leave from the Vietnam War. Mary was a Day Surgery and Recovery Room Pool Nurse at the Medical Center of Aurora from August 1989 through 1997. During the 23 years that Mary and Jim were married, they lovingly raised four children. They were stationed at Bentwaters Royal Air Force Base, England; Luke Air Force Base, Phoenix, Arizona; Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio; Homestead Air Force Base, Miami, Florida; and Lowry Air Force Base, Aurora, Colorado. Mary was the ultimate homemaker with talents in cooking, sewing, crochet, knitting, needle point, cross-stitch, construction, upholstery, furniture stripping, and cake decorating. Yet she always found time for her kids and a good book. Starting in 1998 with the birth of her first grandchild Mary's focus shifted to doting on her eight grandchildren which continued until the day she passed away. She was very proud of all eight of her grandchildren. Mary was on the Board for The Children of the Dust Charity with Father Peter Dinh to care for orphans in Vietnam. She was also a member in the Society of St. Vincent De Paul. Mary has been a member of Queen of Peace Roman Catholic Church since 1983 where she was a Eucharistic Minister. A viewing will be held at Horan & McConaty on Dartmouth, on Saturday June 24th 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM, immediately followed by a Funeral Mass at 6:30 PM, at Horan & McConaty, led by Father J. Darrell Schaffer of St. Jude Catholic Church. The Military burial ceremony will be at 12:15 PM on Monday June 26th at Fort Logan National Cemetery, in section C, with Father Martin Humphler. Please give your condolences to the McGorry family,