Anne McGaughey

Anne Mildred McGaughey of Ellicott City, MD passed away quietly at her home on Monday, 10 September after her lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s finally ended. She was comforted in the end by having her family at her bedside.

Anne was born 9 July, 1930 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She was preceded in death in 2005 by her adoring husband of 54 wonderful years, James P. McGaughey and her loving sister, Mary Weber. She is survived by her other loving sister, Irene Matkovich, who still resides in the Vancouver area and her five children and seven grandchildren. They include her daughter, Patricia McGaughey (Orlan Walker); Son, James P. McGaughey (Kam and daughters Kelly M. Roseberry (Chris), Cara C. West (Mike), and Stacey C.; Son, Douglas M. McGaughey (Ricarda and daughter Felicity L.); Son, Jeffrey A. McGaughey (Barbara and daughters Michelle L. and Nicole M.); and Son, Phillip J. McGaughey (Carol and son Collin).

The family will receive friends at John M. Taylor Funeral Home, 147 Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis, MD 21401, (Phone: 410-263-4422) on Thursday evening, 20 September from 5PM – 8PM. There will be a private funeral held on Friday, 21 September at the Crownsville Veterans Cemetery, 1122 Sunrise Beach Road, Crownsville, MD 21032 followed shortly thereafter by a lunch to celebrate Anne’s life.

Anne McGaughey enjoyed a great childhood in Vancouver followed by a wonderful and adventurous life that began with a storybook romance in the summer of 1950. After visiting her youngest and newly married sister Mary in Indiana, Anne boarded a train to take her back to Vancouver. Just as she was settling into her seat in the dining car, a young Navy enlisted man on his way to be stationed in Adak, Alaska approached her. In a manner in which she would later come to understand was very out of character for him, the young sailor boldly asked if she would like some company. Anne was very old fashioned. “Make men earn your affection”, her dad would always tell her. She politely said “No” to the handsome young sailor – but quickly added a caveat. “If you’re still interested in talking later, maybe you could meet me back here in a few hours for coffee”. Anne was trying her best to maintain control of the situation when all the while her insides were getting tied up in knots. Over the years, Anne had confided to her children, “He was so handsome and fit in his uniform, but I couldn’t let him know that then. I wanted to play a little hard-to-get”.

Anne and that young Navy sailor, James McGaughey from Janesville, WS, would indeed have that coffee and following that would come dinner and endless conversation. When they arrived in Vancouver two days later, not wanting to let a good thing get away, James asked her to marry him. She was totally smitten and fully aware this guy was so different and so special, but she still wanted to wait in order to be certain. Anne was just 20 years old. Again, she said “No” – but again, with a caveat. “Come back and see me when your tour is over”. She added, “If you still feel the same way by then, I will reconsider”. Everything was happening so fast. Anne would tell her kids years later, “it was like a dream -- a fairytale”.

Undeterred by her initial rebuff of his marriage proposal, before heading off to his Navy tour in Alaska, James asked if he could write to her while there. Anne said that would be fine. “At the most”, she recalled, “I thought he would send me a few letters when he got time to write, if he wrote to me at all”. When his tour was up, James arranged to travel back through Vancouver on leave before heading to his next assignment. Keeping his promise (and after a long awaited first kiss) he took one step back, got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. With knees admittedly shaking, this time she screamed “YES!”

Fifty years later, Anne and her son Jeffrey were swapping memories at her 50th wedding anniversary. She told him, as she smiled lovingly at her husband across the table, “do you know that your dad wrote to me nearly every day, sometimes twice a day, for a whole year while he was in Alaska?” “That”, she said, “is true love”.

Anne’s love story beginning was followed by a life of travel around the globe and the joys of motherhood with five children with very different personalities. After James’ Naval career ended, Anne and her family settled down in Maryland where she started her own 20-year nursing career by proudly graduating first in her nursing school class. Then, after her children all left the nest, Anne and James moved to Florida where they lived for more than 25 years until James passed away in 2005, only months after Anne’s younger sister Mary had also passed away. A short time later she agreed to return to Maryland and eventually moved in with Jeffrey & Barbara, who it was mutually agreed among the family members were best positioned to care for her worsening Alzheimer’s. They were also centrally located to the rest of the family to make visiting Anne easier for everyone.

Like so many caring and truly big-hearted and loving people, Anne touched so many people in such positive and uplifting ways. She will truly be missed, but everyone who knew her knows she is where she belongs and finally free of the strangling grip of Alzheimer’s.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Anne’s name can also be made to either of her favorite charities listed below:

Travis Mills Foundation

89 Water Street

Hallowell, ME 04347

www.travismills.org/donate/

Alzheimer’s Association of Maryland

https://www.alz.org/maryland