Obituary of Jean A. McGinnity

To Our Beautiful Mom, We will love you and miss you forever. May you rest peacefully in heaven with your handsome and devoted husband and our loving father. Thank you for the beautiful life you shared with all of us and together. We love you both more than you could ever imagine. Jean was pre-deceased by her devoted husband Joseph Matthew McGinnity (October 12, 1917- December 31, 2007). Jean will be held in the hearts of her four loving daughters; Patricia Stephenson(Robert), Judi Moniz(Dave Young), Joanne Van Wicklen(Gary) and Jean Caswell Brousseau(Randy). Cherished grandmother of Cristin Tighe(David), Brendan Tighe(Angel), Kathy Tighe(Mark), Daniel Caswell(Juliana), Jonathan Caswell(Meghann), Lydia Caswell, Emily Caswell and Matthew Brousseau. Devoted great grandmother of Cole, Caidan, Ryan, Anela, Annalissa, Eva, Gabriela, River, Nikolas, Hannah, Oliver and Nikolas. 95 Things We Love About You! - September 11, 2020 You have been a blessing for 95 beautiful years! We love you! 1. Great cook and baker 2. Best manicotti maker! 3. Nanny's chicken/chicken parmesan to die for! 4. Delicious pound cake made with apricot nectar 5. Master pancake maker 6. Likes Perry Como, Frank Sinatra and John Denver 7. Liked Creedence Clearwater Revival because she could understand the words 8. Likes to dance and a great dancer! 9. Likes to drink sweet sherry 10. Likes all kinds of sweets, especially halvah and cheese danish 11. Likes sardines, sour cream & bananas, and graham crackers & peanut butter 12. How every time I eat marzipan, I feel like you are with me 13. Fastidious homemaker 14. Bathrooms always stocked with toilet paper, soap and mouthwash! 15. For all the work you did that wasn’t acknowledged… 16. All the times you dusted, swept and mopped, vacuumed and cleaned 17. All clothing/linens you picked up, washed, dried, ironed, folded and put away 18. All the toys and games and more you cleaned up 19. All the grocery store, butcher, bakery trips to prepare food with love 20. All the times you took us places, taught us things 21. All the times you gave hugs and kisses, listened, gave advice, and just loved us 22. All the times you shared your view on life and how to move through it with ease 23. Always re-made home for family, no matter where, and no matter which belong-ings came or not 24. Always generous and extremely patient 25. Peacemaker 26. Always a great mother and always loved being a mother 27. Always the mediator 28. Most generous person I know 29. How you handled your children when Joe was working 30. Fantastic mom to four girls with different personalities and needs with ease and love! 31. Dealing with the emotions of four daughters - at once! 32. Fantastic grandmother to 8 children 33. Influence of her grand-mothering in the next generation of 12 great grandchil-dren 34. Still mothering gracefully and patiently every day 35. A New Yorker at heart! (the accent is there) 36. But a convert to the Florida sunshine for sure! 37. Like to talk about the weather, wherever we are and wherever you are 38. Her kind and even temper 39. How she never judges anyone, and always loves her family for who they are 40. Rolls with the punches 41. Loves to watch golf matches on TV 42. Hides important things and then spends hours looking for them! 43. Takes the lemons that life hands her and makes lemonade 44. Your strength and grace, and how you never expect much from anyone else 45. How you are a powerful woman - both as a woman and as a nurturer 46. Your immense patience, empathy and compassion 47. Your generosity of love, spirit, connection and laughter 48. How you are a good listener when we need it 49. Your diligence, persistence and honesty 50. You are industrious with a strong devotion to work 51. Level-headed, strong-willed, persistent and not easily affected by the surround-ings 52. The story of grandpa seeing you at the party on Long Island sound, how he came in from the boat to meet you and how you ended up married 53. How you took ceramics with your friend Joan and made plaques with flowers 54. How your daughter’s straightened their hair by ironing it on your ironing board 55. Times in Glen Oaks apartment and weekends in Lake George with you caring for us 56. Times in the Great Neck house, dancing in the finished basement to juke box mu-sic 57. How you didn’t drive until your daughters were older, then had a green Chevy station wagon 58. Going to the Capri Yacht Club, so many weekends, and sleeping over on the boat 59. When we got broadsided with dad driving to the club, with the roast beef flying with blood all over, making it seem we were hurt more than we were (thank goodness not) 60. Taking the Chris Craft, Jopatjudy, to 1964 NY World’s Fair and docking at a boatel 61. Times at the Italian-American club dancing with Joe on Saturday nights! 62. That you always offered great sweets or desserts when we visited 63. Times in the Poconos house sitting at the big long wooden table with the lazy Su-san on it 64. Playing on the red shag carpet in the Poconos 65. When the Easter Bunny hid an egg in a side table and it wasn’t found for days until it smelled bad 66. Sitting on the porch in Hemlock Farms and the bear eating the blueberries on the driveway 67. The raccoons and bears at night getting the trash, and Joe walking down and yelling at the bears, and you yelling at Joe to stay on the porch 68. Times with three generations of women in the family in the Poconos house on the lower bedroom floor and laughing hard at stories and jokes until our stom-achs hurt 69. How you came to Colorado to stay with us when Kathy was born and we stood in the front yard with those pink tulips blooming and you told me I had a sister! 70. Always telling some grandkids to be quiet and keep cleaning up, so grandpa wouldn’t be mad 71. Took up golf so you wouldn’t be a ‘golf widow’ in order to join Joe on the course 72. Won trophies at Hemlock Farms Country Club 73. Summer with Bella, and how you became friends even though you don’t like dogs 74. When you moved to the couch at night when sharing your bed with (kicking) grandkids 75. When you taught me to knit at the PA house 76. How you came out to the Colorado family reunion and hiked around the lake with us 77. In the back seat of the car, going to Jones Beach, eating Halvah sesame candy 78. Your Jan 1st, 2014 trip to see us in Palm Beach (and trekking to 3rd floor bed-room) 79. You cautious approach and worrying to keep us healthy and safe 80. Advice about sweaters - bring it, put it on, always wear it! 81. Advice about shoes - always wear comfortable ones, never wear tight shoes, don’t wear heels, and if your feet hurt you’ll be miserable 82. Always carry cash - you never know if you will need it 83. You need to find a good man who will take care of you, or marry a rich man 84. Let your hair grow long 85. Even if people don't do the right thing - always do the right thing! (grandpa said too) 86. Always tell the truth! 87. Favorite quote, “What are ya gonna do?” about the weather and any thorny problem 88. “You can’t do it all. You have to just take it easy in between.” 89. “Don't let it bother you" - if you are blue put on some music! 90. “Who cares? We make out own party! Right!?” (her quote from 7/4/15) 91. Your positive attitude, cheer, perspective, resilience, persistence and enduring love are always with each of us and in our hearts forever. 92. We love to think of you surrounded by the loved ones you shared your life with who have also passed on and to know they hold you in love and light and are with you forever, too. 93. Your love and spirit we feel and we will never forget. You are an angel and saint. 94. To your last moment, your concern for your family was paramount. Your inten-tion to know and hold each of us was always there. 95. Love is patient and love is kind. You are love. Your love will endure. We love you.