Kay McNamara

Katherine “Kay” Anne McNamara was born in New York on November 25, 1932, to Michael and Ana Divjak who had immigrated to the United States in the 1920s from what is now Croatia. Her parents established the Savory Bake Shop in Queens, New York. Their hard work built a successful life for their family, including having a second home in Lake Placid, New York, where Kay spent many enjoyable times as a teenager and young bride.

Kay met her future husband, Paul, in 1952. They were married seventy years ago on July 9, 1955, and four sons followed: Paul (1956), Stephen (1959), Michael (1961), and Bruce (1962).

When a promising career in electronics manufacturing presented itself to Paul in 1965, the family moved to southern California, settling in Claremont. In addition to taking on the challenge of raising four very energetic boys, Kay developed a love for the crafts of ceramics, which she turned into a garage-based ceramics-making facility with three full-size kilns. Everyone got in on the act as making and selling her artwork was a primary source of income for the boys in their teens.

With her husband, Kay instilled in her boys a strong belief in the value of education. They were very proud that each of their children obtained graduate degrees, with three becoming lawyers and one a doctor (not to mention a couple of Eagle Scouts along the way). Kay loved spending time in Lake Arrowhead, drawn by the serenity of the mountains. They had a vacation home there in the 1970s, and Kay and Paul returned there after retirement to spend a decade enjoying the lake. One of Kay’s favorite activities was taking her blow-up kayak down to the lake where she would spend hours paddling around enjoying the views of a place that felt most like home. In 2013, they return to Orange County, creating a home in the lovely community of Laguna Woods

Kay was by Paul’s side when he peacefully passed away 7 years ago. She was completely devoted to Paul, spending multiple days per week visiting him at the cemetery, but also remaining incredibly active and independent up until her final hours. She remained an active learner and even started playing bridge again in recent years, bidding and successfully playing a seven no-trump grand slam just moments before the events that brought her to the hospital (if you play bridge, you will understand how rare that is). After a very short illness, Kay passed away peacefully to join her husband, Paul, surrounded by all four of her sons as well as several other family members.

She is survived by her four sons, daughters-in-law Christine, Valerie, Kathryn, and Helen, as well as 12 grandchildren: Paul III, Coleman, Kevin, Jennifer, Kathleen, Justine, Jaclyn, Allison, Ryan, Glynnis, Henry, and Devin, and 3 great-grandchildren Remy, Chloe, and Josie.

A Celebration of Life service will take place on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 at 2:00 PM at Pacific View Mortuary with a graveside service to follow.

Visitation will precede the Celebration of Life on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM for those who wish to arrive early.