Dana Sue McGrath

Dana S. McGrath passed peacefully on July 10, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of resilience, fairness, and unconditional love. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Dana was the only child of William Wylie Prickett and Dana Filo Anglin. At the age of ten, she relocated to California’s Bay Area, a move that marked a life defined by dedication to family and community.

Dana helped raise her younger sisters, Lynn and Anne, embracing responsibility with maturity well beyond her years. She became a mother in 1961 with the birth of her first son, Michael. A few years later, she met and married the love of her life, James (Jim) McGrath, expanding her family with his son Steve and welcoming son Bill ("Corky") in 1970.

Dana spent over forty years working in secretarial and management roles in the freight transit industry, she started her career back in the 1960s when it was still very much a male-dominated field. She worked her way up through grit and determination, and by the early 1980’s was in management handling negotiations with the Teamsters union over driver grievances. Dana was known for being incredibly prepared and firm, but also fair—she never lost a case, and people respected her for it. Eventually, she took on a leadership role at UPS, helping run their Air Cargo operations in Sacramento, and retired in 2007. Her career was a testament to hard work, integrity, and breaking barriers.

Dana was a proud mother to Bill (with his wife Cyndy in California) and Steve (with his wife Sandy in West Virginia), who gave her two beloved grandsons, Josh and Travis. She also welcomed Josh’s partner Larry and Travis’s wife Alexandria (Alex) into the family. Dana was later blessed with three great-grandchildren: Mira, August (“Augie”), and Maxton (“Max”).

After moving to Fair Oaks in 2001, Dana and Jim embraced their later years with joy—making wonderful friends and traveling together. In retirement, Dana remained active, going to the gym three to five times a week and enjoying long walks. She also reconnected with Beta Sigma Phi, a civic sorority she deeply cherished. Dana dedicated herself to the sorority’s charitable efforts, supporting causes such as cystic fibrosis and scleroderma. She played a vital role in organizing their annual See’s candy drive and crab feed.

Dana was preceded in death by her husband Jim and son Michael. Her unwavering independence, generosity, and fierce love made her a pillar in both her family and community. She will be remembered with deep gratitude by all who were lucky enough to be part of her orbit.