!SOURCE Joyce in 1930 census in Bridgeport,Connecticut
POSTED: October 29, 2010
Lillian Joyce McGrath, 85, died Oct. 23, 2010. with her family by her side in Cape Coral. She was born Dec. 1, 1924, in Passaic, N.J., to Lillian and Hugh DeAngelis.
She will be remembered for her intelligence, creativity, sense of humor and her tireless passion for a broad set of interests. She was a nurse, an actress, a singer, a published writer, a teacher and costume designer. Her hobbies included genealogy research, opera, sewing, crocheting, writing letters and watching TV game shows, like Jeopardy, where she was once a contestant.
She served as a cadet nurse during World War II. On March 9, 1945, she married William R. McGrath while she was a student nurse and he an ensign in the U.S. Naval Air Corps. In 1946 they moved to Connecticut as Bill pursued his education and Joyce had her first of 11 children. She won a contest and became Mrs. Connecticut 1952 and participated in the Mrs. America title later that year. She worked as a pediatric nurse at Yale New Haven starting in the 1950s. The family moved to Boston in 1963 and Yorktown Heights, N.Y., in 1971. In 1985, Bill and Joyce settled in Cape Coral.
Education was of primary importance to Joyce. She graduated from the Bellevue School of Nursing in New York City in 1946. As her family with Bill grew, she continued to pursue formal education. In 1969 she earned a bachelor of science degree from the Southern Connecticut University, commuting from Boston to New Haven by bus twice a week to attend classes. She later earned a masters degree in fine arts and theater from New York University in 1980. She was continually taking classes and refresher courses at various institutions. Throughout her life she strongly supported and encouraged her family to pursue education.
Music and theater were her life-long love. She studied voice from a young age and performed on stages wherever she was living. She performed on the USO stage in New York City, summer stock on Cape Cod, and Community Theatre in York-town, N.Y., and Cape Coral. She was once offered a role in a Broadway show, but turned it down because she was expecting another child. When she wasn't performing she was behind the scenes designing sets and costumes, or directing. She was always an active member of her local Catholic church and sang in the choir throughout her adult life, most recently at St. Andrews in Cape Coral. She was proud that she passed on her musical and performance ability to many of her children and grandchildren.
The many interesting events in her life were a rich source for her writing. During her life she had several stories published in magazines and wrote several plays, one of which was performed in 1982 at New York University.
She loved to teach and share her knowledge. She started a Children's Theater Workshop in Yorktown in the 1970s. She taught nursing in Cape Coral. Until quite recently, she taught religious education at St. Andrew.
She was once asked how she does it all and the response was, "I never worry how I will do something. I just start to do it. Once you decide, things work out."
Above all her talents and titles, she was a loving mother to her children. She is survived by Brian George, David Michael, Raymond Edward, Harold Robert, Vincent Charles, Mary Joyce O'Keefe, Kevin Paul, Rita Lorraine McCabe, Beverly Therese McGrath, Nora Marie Marrinan and Margaret Ellen Ruff and her 29 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Her beloved husband, Bill, predeceased her in 1999. She was predeceased as well by her four younger siblings, Harold DeAngelis, Raymond DeAngelis, "Duke" DeAngelis and Valerie Phillips.
Her family will cherish her memory, her many life accomplishments, her faith, and her love for family, education and music.
Memorials may be made to Hope Hospice, 9470 HealthPark Circle, Fort Myers, Florida, 33908
Subscribe to Cape Coral Daily Breeze
POSTED: October 29, 2010
Lillian Joyce McGrath, 85, died Oct. 23, 2010. with her family by her side in Cape Coral. She was born Dec. 1, 1924, in Passaic, N.J., to Lillian and Hugh DeAngelis.
She will be remembered for her intelligence, creativity, sense of humor and her tireless passion for a broad set of interests. She was a nurse, an actress, a singer, a published writer, a teacher and costume designer. Her hobbies included genealogy research, opera, sewing, crocheting, writing letters and watching TV game shows, like Jeopardy, where she was once a contestant.
She served as a cadet nurse during World War II. On March 9, 1945, she married William R. McGrath while she was a student nurse and he an ensign in the U.S. Naval Air Corps. In 1946 they moved to Connecticut as Bill pursued his education and Joyce had her first of 11 children. She won a contest and became Mrs. Connecticut 1952 and participated in the Mrs. America title later that year. She worked as a pediatric nurse at Yale New Haven starting in the 1950s. The family moved to Boston in 1963 and Yorktown Heights, N.Y., in 1971. In 1985, Bill and Joyce settled in Cape Coral.
Education was of primary importance to Joyce. She graduated from the Bellevue School of Nursing in New York City in 1946. As her family with Bill grew, she continued to pursue formal education. In 1969 she earned a bachelor of science degree from the Southern Connecticut University, commuting from Boston to New Haven by bus twice a week to attend classes. She later earned a masters degree in fine arts and theater from New York University in 1980. She was continually taking classes and refresher courses at various institutions. Throughout her life she strongly supported and encouraged her family to pursue education.
Music and theater were her life-long love. She studied voice from a young age and performed on stages wherever she was living. She performed on the USO stage in New York City, summer stock on Cape Cod, and Community Theatre in York-town, N.Y., and Cape Coral. She was once offered a role in a Broadway show, but turned it down because she was expecting another child. When she wasn't performing she was behind the scenes designing sets and costumes, or directing. She was always an active member of her local Catholic church and sang in the choir throughout her adult life, most recently at St. Andrews in Cape Coral. She was proud that she passed on her musical and performance ability to many of her children and grandchildren.
The many interesting events in her life were a rich source for her writing. During her life she had several stories published in magazines and wrote several plays, one of which was performed in 1982 at New York University.
She loved to teach and share her knowledge. She started a Children's Theater Workshop in Yorktown in the 1970s. She taught nursing in Cape Coral. Until quite recently, she taught religious education at St. Andrew.
She was once asked how she does it all and the response was, "I never worry how I will do something. I just start to do it. Once you decide, things work out."
Above all her talents and titles, she was a loving mother to her children. She is survived by Brian George, David Michael, Raymond Edward, Harold Robert, Vincent Charles, Mary Joyce O'Keefe, Kevin Paul, Rita Lorraine McCabe, Beverly Therese McGrath, Nora Marie Marrinan and Margaret Ellen Ruff and her 29 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Her beloved husband, Bill, predeceased her in 1999. She was predeceased as well by her four younger siblings, Harold DeAngelis, Raymond DeAngelis, "Duke" DeAngelis and Valerie Phillips.
Her family will cherish her memory, her many life accomplishments, her faith, and her love for family, education and music.
Memorials may be made to Hope Hospice, 9470 HealthPark Circle, Fort Myers, Florida, 33908
Subscribe to Cape Coral Daily Breeze
!SOURCE Joyce in 1930 census in Bridgeport,Connecticut
POSTED: October 29, 2010
Lillian Joyce McGrath, 85, died Oct. 23, 2010. with her family by her side in Cape Coral. She was born Dec. 1, 1924, in Passaic, N.J., to Lillian and Hugh DeAngelis.
She will be remembered for her intelligence, creativity, sense of humor and her tireless passion for a broad set of interests. She was a nurse, an actress, a singer, a published writer, a teacher and costume designer. Her hobbies included genealogy research, opera, sewing, crocheting, writing letters and watching TV game shows, like Jeopardy, where she was once a contestant.
She served as a cadet nurse during World War II. On March 9, 1945, she married William R. McGrath while she was a student nurse and he an ensign in the U.S. Naval Air Corps. In 1946 they moved to Connecticut as Bill pursued his education and Joyce had her first of 11 children. She won a contest and became Mrs. Connecticut 1952 and participated in the Mrs. America title later that year. She worked as a pediatric nurse at Yale New Haven starting in the 1950s. The family moved to Boston in 1963 and Yorktown Heights, N.Y., in 1971. In 1985, Bill and Joyce settled in Cape Coral.
Education was of primary importance to Joyce. She graduated from the Bellevue School of Nursing in New York City in 1946. As her family with Bill grew, she continued to pursue formal education. In 1969 she earned a bachelor of science degree from the Southern Connecticut University, commuting from Boston to New Haven by bus twice a week to attend classes. She later earned a masters degree in fine arts and theater from New York University in 1980. She was continually taking classes and refresher courses at various institutions. Throughout her life she strongly supported and encouraged her family to pursue education.
Music and theater were her life-long love. She studied voice from a young age and performed on stages wherever she was living. She performed on the USO stage in New York City, summer stock on Cape Cod, and Community Theatre in York-town, N.Y., and Cape Coral. She was once offered a role in a Broadway show, but turned it down because she was expecting another child. When she wasn't performing she was behind the scenes designing sets and costumes, or directing. She was always an active member of her local Catholic church and sang in the choir throughout her adult life, most recently at St. Andrews in Cape Coral. She was proud that she passed on her musical and performance ability to many of her children and grandchildren.
The many interesting events in her life were a rich source for her writing. During her life she had several stories published in magazines and wrote several plays, one of which was performed in 1982 at New York University.
She loved to teach and share her knowledge. She started a Children's Theater Workshop in Yorktown in the 1970s. She taught nursing in Cape Coral. Until quite recently, she taught religious education at St. Andrew.
She was once asked how she does it all and the response was, "I never worry how I will do something. I just start to do it. Once you decide, things work out."
Above all her talents and titles, she was a loving mother to her children. She is survived by Brian George, David Michael, Raymond Edward, Harold Robert, Vincent Charles, Mary Joyce O'Keefe, Kevin Paul, Rita Lorraine McCabe, Beverly Therese McGrath, Nora Marie Marrinan and Margaret Ellen Ruff and her 29 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Her beloved husband, Bill, predeceased her in 1999. She was predeceased as well by her four younger siblings, Harold DeAngelis, Raymond DeAngelis, "Duke" DeAngelis and Valerie Phillips.
Her family will cherish her memory, her many life accomplishments, her faith, and her love for family, education and music.
Memorials may be made to Hope Hospice, 9470 HealthPark Circle, Fort Myers, Florida, 33908
Subscribe to Cape Coral Daily Breeze
POSTED: October 29, 2010
Lillian Joyce McGrath, 85, died Oct. 23, 2010. with her family by her side in Cape Coral. She was born Dec. 1, 1924, in Passaic, N.J., to Lillian and Hugh DeAngelis.
She will be remembered for her intelligence, creativity, sense of humor and her tireless passion for a broad set of interests. She was a nurse, an actress, a singer, a published writer, a teacher and costume designer. Her hobbies included genealogy research, opera, sewing, crocheting, writing letters and watching TV game shows, like Jeopardy, where she was once a contestant.
She served as a cadet nurse during World War II. On March 9, 1945, she married William R. McGrath while she was a student nurse and he an ensign in the U.S. Naval Air Corps. In 1946 they moved to Connecticut as Bill pursued his education and Joyce had her first of 11 children. She won a contest and became Mrs. Connecticut 1952 and participated in the Mrs. America title later that year. She worked as a pediatric nurse at Yale New Haven starting in the 1950s. The family moved to Boston in 1963 and Yorktown Heights, N.Y., in 1971. In 1985, Bill and Joyce settled in Cape Coral.
Education was of primary importance to Joyce. She graduated from the Bellevue School of Nursing in New York City in 1946. As her family with Bill grew, she continued to pursue formal education. In 1969 she earned a bachelor of science degree from the Southern Connecticut University, commuting from Boston to New Haven by bus twice a week to attend classes. She later earned a masters degree in fine arts and theater from New York University in 1980. She was continually taking classes and refresher courses at various institutions. Throughout her life she strongly supported and encouraged her family to pursue education.
Music and theater were her life-long love. She studied voice from a young age and performed on stages wherever she was living. She performed on the USO stage in New York City, summer stock on Cape Cod, and Community Theatre in York-town, N.Y., and Cape Coral. She was once offered a role in a Broadway show, but turned it down because she was expecting another child. When she wasn't performing she was behind the scenes designing sets and costumes, or directing. She was always an active member of her local Catholic church and sang in the choir throughout her adult life, most recently at St. Andrews in Cape Coral. She was proud that she passed on her musical and performance ability to many of her children and grandchildren.
The many interesting events in her life were a rich source for her writing. During her life she had several stories published in magazines and wrote several plays, one of which was performed in 1982 at New York University.
She loved to teach and share her knowledge. She started a Children's Theater Workshop in Yorktown in the 1970s. She taught nursing in Cape Coral. Until quite recently, she taught religious education at St. Andrew.
She was once asked how she does it all and the response was, "I never worry how I will do something. I just start to do it. Once you decide, things work out."
Above all her talents and titles, she was a loving mother to her children. She is survived by Brian George, David Michael, Raymond Edward, Harold Robert, Vincent Charles, Mary Joyce O'Keefe, Kevin Paul, Rita Lorraine McCabe, Beverly Therese McGrath, Nora Marie Marrinan and Margaret Ellen Ruff and her 29 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Her beloved husband, Bill, predeceased her in 1999. She was predeceased as well by her four younger siblings, Harold DeAngelis, Raymond DeAngelis, "Duke" DeAngelis and Valerie Phillips.
Her family will cherish her memory, her many life accomplishments, her faith, and her love for family, education and music.
Memorials may be made to Hope Hospice, 9470 HealthPark Circle, Fort Myers, Florida, 33908
Subscribe to Cape Coral Daily Breeze
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