| I want to share Mom’s obituary with all my friends.
Patricia (MacGill) McGowan |
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 McGOWAN, PATRICIA (MacGILL) age 84, of Providence, RI formerly of Somerset passed away Sat. June 21, 2008 at her residence. She was the wife of Dr. Owen T.P. McGowan to whom she had been married for 54 years.Born in London, England, she came to this country at the age of seven and lived here for the rest of her life. Both her parents were writers: her father was the famous novelist, Patrick MacGill, in whose honour a festival is held every year in Ireland, and her mother, Margaret Gibbons, was a well known writer of romance novels. Her godfather was the illustrious G.K. Chesterton, and with all that as her heritage, it was no surprise that she ended up a writer too. She got her start in the field working in Manhattan with the premier Catholic publishing house: Sheed and Ward.While living in New York, she came into contact with Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker movement and together with her sister, Sheila MacGill, she started a House of Hospitality in her own apartment. For over five years they took in young women with no place to go, running the house entirely on their own salaries.In 1951, she met her future husband when he came to her publishing house to buy books for the Catholic bookstore he owned in Fall River, MA. They fell in love and were married in 1954. After the birth of their first child, she published a novel, ‘House of Friends’.While in the hospital after delivering her second baby, her pastor, Msgr. Daniel F. Shalloo, then the editor of the diocesan newspaper, The Anchor, came to visit her and suggested that she start writing for the paper. She remained a part-time employee for many years, finally going full-time in 1972 when her youngest child started school. In addition, she wrote a regular column for the New Bedford Standard Times and numerous articles for Catholic publications.
Beyond her professional achievements, however, Mrs. McGowan will be remembered for her loving and serene life. Most people who knew her agree that they cannot remember ever hearing an unkind word escape her lips. But though she seemed incapable of anger, she was passionate about social justice issues. While she was still nursing her sixth baby, she traveled to Washington, D.C. for the civil rights march at which Martin Luther King delivered his famous ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. She was a staunch supporter of the United Farm Workers and picketed regularly outside supermarkets which carried non-union lettuce and grapes. At home, she continued her pre-marriage practice of taking in those with nowhere to go. She and her husband were known throughout the city as the people to go to if someone needed a place to stay, for a day, for a weekend, for a month or for three years. In addition to her husband, she leaves seven children and their spouses: Christine McGowan and Brien Matson living in Hawaii, Jo and Dr. Ravi Chopra, living in India, Dr. Mary McGowan and Dr. Tom Synan, of New Hampshire, Atty. Owen and Sally McGowan, of Norwell, MA., Margaret and Brian McNeill of Wellesley, Christopher McGowan of Miami, and Lucy and Robert Cuseo of Providence, sixteen grandchildren, her twin sister Chris MacGill, numerous nieces and nephews and a host of dear friends. She was predeceased by her sister Sheila MacGill Callahan. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in her honor to Karuna Vihar, (c/o 23 Lucille St., Providence, RI 02908), a school for children with special needs in India run by her daughter Jo. You may also visit their website:www.latikaroy.org. |
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You don’t know me, but I happened to read your Mom’s obituary in The Herald News. What a wonderful woman. You and your family are blessed to have been loved by such a wonderful mom. The obit lead me to your website and then to your blog, which I enjoyed reading for a few hours. I recall your family name from Fall River. My sincere sympathy to you and your family. I wish you peace.
One thing the obit neglected to mention was that Mom graduated Summa Cum Laude from Barry College in Miami. That’s ok Jo She was never one to brag! (WE do enough of that).