Madeline McGowan, 89, of Vero Beach, passed away on Feb. 21, after a long struggle with Parkinson’s Disease.
She is survived by seven children, Barbara McGowan, Patricia McGowan, John McGowan, Kevin McGowan, Mary McGowan, Jane McGowan, and Kathleen McGowan; and by seven grandchildren.
Born, along with her twin sister Mary, in Brooklyn on April 22, 1925, McGowan lost her father as a young child. She grew up in Flatbush, attending Catholic schools, and graduating from St. Joseph’s College in 1946 with a degree in mathematics. Childhood summers were spent in Bayhead on the Jersey shore.
In 1941, she met Bill McGowan. The pair corresponded during Bill’s military service in World War II, and were married in 1948. She worked for the Grumman Aircraft Corporation and the Equitable Insurance Company until the birth, in 1949, of Barbara the first of her seven children (five girls and two boys.)
The family lived in Malverne and Hampton Bays (during the summers) on Long Island. The early death of her twin sister in 1960 was the great sorrow of her life, just as her husband and children were its great joy.
In 1981 the McGowan’s moved with their daughter Kathy and Madeline’s mother, Edith Bainton Martin, to Vero Beach to be near the Dodgers and the ocean. Her husband Bill passed away in 1987.
McGowan was an avid reader, a good bridge player, a Scrabble whiz, and was an active volunteer in the local community. Once diagnosed with Parkinson’s, she fought the disease with courage and grace during 12 hard years that also had their moments of joy.
The Funeral Services will be held in St. Helen’s Church in Vero Beach on Feb.27 at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (www.pdf.org) would be appreciated. Arrangements are under the direction of Strunk Funeral Home, Vero Beach. A guestbook is available online at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.
