Theresa Mary Gately

Theresa Mary Gately died peacefully in her sleep on March 13th in Silver Spring, Maryland. She was 96.

Theresa was born on May 23rd, 1924 in Washington DC to Frank and Rose Tolotta, recent immigrant arrivals from the Catanzaro province in Calabria, Italy. Theresa attended Eastern High School and graduated in 1943.

After high school, Theresa was employed at the Library of Congress and during World War II, as a member of the American Red Cross.

She met her future husband William (Bill) Francis Gately, Sr. at St. Peter's Catholic Church where both attended Catholic School as children in the early 1930s. They were married on November 9th, 1946, and had 10 children, seven boys and three girls over 19 years. The small miracle of raising, feeding, clothing, and educating all of them into good and productive adults was her passion fueled by her faith in God and an unyielding doctrine of hard work, doing your absolute best, and always doing the right thing.

After her husband’s sudden death in 1974, Theresa raised the five children still living at home, supporting them with the position she obtained with the Montgomery County Police Department in 1976. As a school crossing guard in Calverton, MD, Theresa walked several miles to her post two to three times a day for the next 30 years until her retirement in 2006. She also put in extra walking miles by insisting her kids join her, or simply walking the neighborhood on her own. She likely logged thousands of miles a year walking in her lifetime, well into her late 80s.

As a crossing guard, generations of children grew up admiring her dedication to their safety and well-being, and marveling at her stamina no matter the severity of the weather conditions. Most notably, Theresa was recognized for her bravery above and beyond the call of duty during the Beltway Sniper attacks of October 2002. She and her crossing guard colleagues put themselves in harm’s way to protect the children going to and from school, literally serving as human shields. For this she was presented the Montgomery County Police Sniper Investigation Special Meritorious Service award.

Theresa was an artist. Her creative outlets included gardening, and passers-by often stopped to gaze at her tapestry of roses, gladiolas, and petunias, and the clematis that climbed her trellises and lit up her yard. In addition to gardening, she also captured her love of the outdoors in her paintings of landscapes of the ocean and other nature scenes. Theresa enjoyed crocheting sweaters, afghans, and doilies, and baking apple pies and hot milk cakes (passed down from her mother-in-law) to treat her children, grandchildren, and friends.

Above all, Theresa was passionate about her Catholic faith. She spent hours each day with her bible, reading and praying in quiet meditation. Her faith guided her efforts in raising her children, and in her selfless contributions to children in need. Some of her favorite charities included St. Jude’s, Shriner’s and Children’s Hospital. She was dearly fond of her lifelong closest friends, the late Sister Margery and her sister, Sister Christine, and she maintained close ties with priests, nuns and parishioners within the community of churches she attended throughout her lifetime.

Theresa loved to share stories about growing up in an Italian family (she spoke fluent Italian in her grade school years), and later about marrying into an Irish one. Other favorite anecdotes detailed the sacrifices made by her family during the Great Depression and the rationing years of World War II. She was a matriarch in the true sense of the word, and her strength, artistry and influence will carry on for generations to come.

Theresa Mary Gately is survived by her nine children: William Francis Gately, Jr. (Gale Shaw), Michael Patrick Gately, Sr. (Betsy), Joseph Paul Gately, James Timothy Gately, Stephen Gerard Gately (Terri), Thomas Frank Gately, Daniel Anthony Gately (Pamela Martin), Mariane Margery Gately (Mike Cyr) and Maria Teresa Athey (Christopher), her sister Rose Lally, 15 grandchildren: Jennifer (Pastrana) Selby, William F. Gately III, Sean Patrick Gately, Michael Patrick Gately, Jr., Bridget Gately-Loar, January Gately, Michelle (Gately) Yanity, Mathew Francis Gately, Erin Elizabeth Gately, Brian Patrick Gately, Micaela Gately, Mary Gately, Liam Josef Gately, Lukas Anthony Gately and Breanna Athey, and 10 great grandchildren: Justine Brady, Skylar Selby, Drew Selby, Kyla Loar, Cole Loar, Jax Loar, Desmond Francis Gately, Delia Mae Gately, Reilly Marie Yanity, and Holden Michael Yanity.

Theresa was preceded in death by her eldest daughter Regina (Gina) Marie Pastrana who recently succumbed after a three-year battle with Stage IV pancreatic cancer, grandson Stephen James Gately, sisters Yolanda Fusillo and Mary Grace Rice, brother Vincent James Tolotta, beloved husband Bill, parents Francesco (Frank) and Rosina (Rose) Tolotta.

In remembrance of Theresa, please consider donating to your favorite Children’s Hospital.