Therese A. McGettigan

Therese McGettigan passed on to Heaven on Tuesday, April 21st. Leading up to her death, she was surrounded by family. She is preceded in death by her husband, Tom, her sister, LaVerne, her brother, Jack, and her parents. She is survived by her children: Kathleen Klayman (Mark), Tommy McGettigan (Roxanne), Danny McGettigan (Ooneen), Mary Ann Admire (Jim), and LaVerne Williams (John, deceased). She was also loved by eleven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren. She loved God, hot tea, and good conversation.

A woman of strong Catholic faith, Therese was a loyal member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church (Rockledge, FL) for over 60 years. When able, she attended Mass daily. Her volunteer duties spanned from homeroom mom at St. Mary’s grade school to Church Sacristan. She lived out her faith as Extraordinary Minister, Member of the Order of the Carmelites, and Minister of the Sick. She was always praying for her family, whom she loved dearly. (She also loved beating them at Scrabble and card games.)

Therese also had a great passion for stories, be it books, classic movies (from Hitchcock to romance), or family lore. Her incredible memory served her well when she shared tales of her early life around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From her father’s work as the Burgess of North Braddock, to her own work at Westinghouse, and to meeting her husband Tom at a dance – leading to a fifty-year marriage! Therese also shared tales of her ancestors who immigrated from Ireland (including one who brought her seven children tied to a rope around her waist), and of her time working at the Kennedy Space Center during the Space Race. All told with a sharp sense of humor.

Her life changed forever with a move to Rockledge, Florida, from Pennsylvania in her early 30s. No matter how many years she lived here, she never could quite get used to the heat. Still, her favorite times were visiting Disney World with her family. Everyone agrees that was her happy place. You could also find her dancing to Andy Williams songs, going to lunch with her friends, or watching EWTN. In her later years, she signed her texts with hearts, angels, prayers, and shamrocks.

She was a beloved daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother and will be missed by all. The family asks, in lieu of flowers, please donate to Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).

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