Elaine Gibson McGauley

Elaine "Gibby" McGauley 97, passed away peacefully at her Manhattan Beach home of 67 years with family present on March 10. Elaine was born in Duluth, Minnesota Jan 9, 1920 to Gladys Anderson and Ray Gibson. During WWII she moved with her parents and sister Lois to Los Angeles to aid in the war effort; she as a telephone switchboard operator, her father a machinist. When her sweetheart "Mac" Lawrence McGauley came home on a short leave from the Navy, they married at Our Lady of Loretto Catholic Church in downtown LA on March 8, 1944. When Mac finally returned home from the war they moved to Minneapolis so he could finish college at the University of Minnesota where they lived in quonset hut "dorms." They moved back to California and in 1950 they bought the house in Manhattan Beach. The views of the Pacific Ocean from the sand dunes reminded them of their beloved Lake Superior back in Minnesota. Mac found a promising career in aerospace and together they raised six kids in the John Street home. They were together for 65 years until Mac's death in 2009.

In the early 50's Mac and Elaine began attending American Martyrs Church at the original Highland Avenue location. He joined the Knights of Columbus and she volunteered at the schools and in various capacities at the Church. Elaine was an early flag-bearer of the healthy lifestyle by cultivating year-round organic crops in their backyard garden beginning in the 1970s. Always one to watch her family's diet, she was not beyond allowing the kids occasional splurges on hot dogs & hamburgers, particularly on the yearly camping trips. After Larry's retirement they were able to travel to Europe, The Holy Land, Ireland, Canada, Elderhostel trips in the United States and many other places. They stayed very active until Larry's stroke in late 2007.

Before Mac's death she lovingly nursed him through several years of illness and was his constant companion. Then just a few years after Mac passed in 2009 Alzheimer's & ill health caught up with her as well. She was able to stay in her home until the end which was always her wish. Friends from American Martyrs, John Street neighbors, and of course Elaine's loving children and grandchildren, have all been a tremendous support along with those who provided daily care in recent days: Isabel, Douglas, and Carol.

Elaine is survived by 6 children; "Mikki" Graham (Randy), Pat (Robin), Dan, Melissa Wright (Chuck), Mary Beatty (Tim), Lawrence Jr, 15 grandchildren plus spouses, and 18 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her sister Lois, husband Lawrence, and great-grandchild, Ryder.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at American Martyrs Church, Manhattan Beach, at 1:00 on Saturday, April 1, 2017. Interment at Riverside National Cemetery to rejoin her place next to her beloved Mac will take place with family at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a hospice or Alzheimer's organization of choice.