Anne Carol Maguire

GENESIS

Anne Carol Maguire (nee Thoden) was born on March 23, 1929 in Philadelphia, PA. Following the death of her mother Adelaide Veronica Thoden (nee Staats) on January 11, 1941 when Anne was just 11, she was raised by her father, Richard M. Thoden Jr., at 6’ 5” the tallest policeman in Philadelphia. Her dad also raised her three older sisters – Adelaide, Pauline, and Helen - and Anne’s younger sister and brother, Sally and Dick. As a child, Anne developed her love not just of family, but also of popular music, avidly learning and singing for the rest of her life the hits of her youth. She was raised a Roman Catholic, the religion she practiced faithfully throughout her life. For years she served as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Gabriel’s Church in Pompano Beach, FL.

EDUCATION AND WORK

Anne graduated from West Philadelphia Catholic High School for Girls in 1946. During and after high school, she helped to support her family with jobs as a telephone switchboard operator and a concession stand operator at the Philadelphia zoo.

LOVE, FAMILY, ADVENTURES

Anne married the love of her life, William Robert “Bob” Maguire on August 2, 1947, following a romance that included movies, sporting events, and walks in their West Philly neighborhood. Both on the tall side, Anne and Bob were a strikingly engaged, handsome couple. From her husband, Anne inherited his love for sports, especially baseball. She followed her Philadelphia Phillies with unwavering dedication through thick and thin, celebrating with great joy when they finally won the World Series in 1980.

In 1948, Anne gave birth to Robert, a son. In 1952, Patricia, her first daughter, was born. And in 1956, her second daughter, Anne Carol, “Nancy”, was born. By then, Anne and Bob had moved from Philadelphia to Barrington, NJ, where they raised their family in their new, split-level home and purchased from a neighbor for $2.00 a mixed breed puppy, Gypsy, who was a loyal family member for more than 15 years. In 1965, the family moved to a home on the banks of Birchwood Lakes in Medford, NJ. In the fall of 1968, Bob surprised Anne with a new Chevrolet Malibu convertible. For years, Anne loved driving her convertible, often bringing Pokey, her beloved Miniature Schnauzer, along for the ride. The car, in pristine condition, remains in the family under the care of her son.

In 1972 Bob and Anne purchased an oceanside condominium in Pompano Beach, Florida in a building called the Breakers. The New Jersey ‘snow birds’ loved driving down I-95 for stays in their condo, spending an increasing amount of time there following Bob’s retirement in 1979. Anne especially loved sitting by the condo’s pool, under spreading almond trees, chatting for hours with her friends. Indeed, one of Anne’s lifelong passions was leading friends and family in conversation.

Neither Bob nor Anne were travelers as kids or young adults. For them, a sojourn meant packing the kids in the car for a vacation in Wildwood at the Jersey shore. By accompanying her husband on business trips to such places as Puerto Rico, San Francisco, Bermuda, Hawaii, and Switzerland, however, Anne’s eyes were opened to the joys and wonders of travel. She expanded that love in later life, visiting with family or friends such spots as Canada, Ireland, England, Yugoslavia, and France, and going on a number of ocean cruises including her last one in 2012, a Caribbean cruise with her son. Over time the Philly girl had become quite an international explorer!

Anne and Bob were married 39 years, until 1986 when the love of her life succumbed to cancer. In 1994, Anne remarried, to Ellis Lockwood, a widowed neighbor at the Breakers. For five years, Ellis and Anne enjoyed each other’s company, both in Florida and visiting Ellis’ lakeside home in Central Michigan during the summer. After Ellis succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease in 1999, Anne stayed at her sunny, seaside condo, enjoying her life there until June 2015 when she moved to an assisted living facility near Nancy, in Coral Springs, FL.

GRACE

Anne Carol Maguire passed away peacefully from natural causes on January 25, 2021.

LEGACY

In addition to her three children - Bob of Cheverly, MD; Pat of Tabernacle, NJ; Nancy of Coral Springs, FL, Anne leaves behind a considerable contingent of family and friends who loved her and will miss her dearly. This includes two sons-in-law, Alan Rehberger of Tabernacle and Ron Saathoff of Coral Springs; her last living sibling, brother Dick of Bethlehem, PA; three half-brothers – Philip, Bob, and Bill Thoden - and a step-sister, Peggy Rossi. Also included are eight grandchildren; Donny, Anne-Marie, Michael, Erin, Dusty, Kaila, Matt, and Caroline, residing respectively in Colorado, Arkansas, Florida, Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina, New Jersey, and California. She also leaves behind 11 great grandchildren.

For her family and friends, Anne’s lasting legacy is her lovely smile, engaging conversation, and devotion to living a life brimming with love and care for her family and friends.