RONAN, Beatrice Elizabeth

The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona 7/25/2003 - 7/26/2003 Beatrice Elizabeth Gavin Ronan, our beloved mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully on July 23, 2003 in her Scottsdale home of 50 years. Purposeful and resolute to the end, her strength of character, her active intellectual life, her unique sense of humor and her devotion to family are her lasting gifts to all of us who love her. Born May 5, 1915 in Austin, MN to Emmet and Mae Gavin, she was the oldest daughter and second of eight children. She attended St. Augustine grade school and high school in Austin and graduated in 1933. She matriculated in 1936 to St. Mary's Hospital's School of Nursing in Minneapolis and graduated from St. Louis University in 1940. She moved to Phoenix in 1945 and took a job teaching nursing at St. Joseph's Hospital. It was during this time that she met Charles Ronan and they were married April 15, 1947. Initially believing they could not have children, Charlie and Bea were foster parents for Catholic Social Services and Maricopa County Welfare Agency until the birth of their first of nine children in 1949. Charlie passed away 34 years ago to the day on July 23, 1969. Bea's faith was a dominant feature of her life. She and Charlie were founding members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Scottsdale, AZ, and at one point, there was a Ronan in every grade in the parish school! They were instrumental in establishing the Holy Family Retreat Association in 1951 in the Valley to enable married couples to make spiritual retreats together. Bea was also active in Sodality, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women and Catholic Daughters of America. She was awarded National Catholic Mother of the Year in 1959. Also in 1959, Bea received the St. Louis University Alumni Award. Following Charlie's passing, she worked for 18 years in the parish's Religious Education office until her retirement in 1987. Bea's life work was loving and nurturing her family. She had an intense interest in each of our lives, and each of us felt especially blessed when the challenges of our lives moved us to the top of her daily prayer list. She enjoyed visits from her relatives in the Midwest and relished the opportunities to return there for school and family reunions. An avid reader, few could match her skill at working crossword puzzles. But what we will miss the most is that she was an engaging conversationalist, who could weigh in, to her dying day, on events in the world, great and small. She is survived by her children and grandchildren: Emmet (Pris), and their sons Rob, Mike, Brian and Kevin; Bernard (Myra), and their children Carmen, Urshel, Martez and Bea; Anne; Jeanne Paige (David) and their children Charlie, Maureen and Nick; Dennis (Jana); Tom (Nancy), and their daughter Emily; Pat (Nancy), and their sons John, Joe, Charlie and Tim; Terry (Diann), and their sons Andy and Zac; Kathy Curry (John), and their daughters Laura, Teresa, Clare, Elizabeth, Grace and Anne. She is also survived by her sister, Dorothy Murphy, of Colorado. Vigil will be held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 3801 N. Miller Rd., Scottsdale Friday, July 25 at 7pm with visitation beginning at 5pm. Funeral Mass will be Saturday, July 26 at 9am, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help with graveside services to follow at St. Francis Cemetery, 2033 N. 48th St., Phoenix. We ask that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to St. Vincent de Paul Society or Hospice of the Valley. Also submitted to the East Valley Tribune, Tempe, Arizona Friday, July 25, 2003 Beatrice Elizabeth Gavin Ronan, our beloved mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully on July 23, 2003 in her Scottsdale home of 50 years. Purposeful and resolute to the end, her strength of character, her active intellectual life, her unique sense of humor and her devotion to family are her lasting gifts to all of us who love her. Born May 5, 1915 in Austin, MN to Emmet and Mae Gavin, she was the oldest daughter and second of eight children. She attended St. Augustine grade school and high school in Austin and graduated in 1933. She matriculated in 1936 to St. Mary's Hospital's School of Nursing in Minneapolis and graduated from St. Louis University in 1940. She moved to Phoenix in 1945 and took a job teaching nursing at St. Joseph's Hospital. It was during this time that she met Charles Ronan and they were married April 15, 1947. Initially believing they could not have children, Charlie and Bea were foster parents for Catholic Social Services and Maricopa County Welfare Agency until the birth of their first of nine children in 1949. Charley passed away 34 years ago to the day on July 23, 1969. Bea's faith was a dominant feature of her life. She and Charlie were founding members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Scottsdale, AZ, and at one point, there was a Ronan in every grade in the parish school! They were instrumental in establishing the Holy Family Retreat Association in 1951 in the Valley to enable married couples to make spiritual retreats together. Bea was also active in Sodality, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women and Catholic Daughters of America. She was awarded National Catholic Mother of the Year in 1959. Also in 1959, Bea received the St. Louis University Alumni Award. Following Charlie's passing, she worked for 18 years in the parish's Religious Education office until her retirement in 1987. Bea's life work was loving and nurturing her family. She had an intense interest in each of our lives, and each of us felt especially blessed when the challenges of our lives moved us to the top of her daily prayer list. She enjoyed visits from her relatives in the Midwest and relished the opportunities to return there for school and family reunions. An avid reader, few could match her skill at working crossword puzzles. But what we will miss the most is that she was an engaging conversationalist, who could weigh in, to her dying day, on events in the world, great and small. She is survived by her children and grandchildren: Emmet (Pris), and their sons, Rob, Mike, Brian and Kevin; Bernard (Myra), and their children Carmen, Urshel, Martez and Bea; Anne; Jeanne Paige (David) and their children Charlie, Maureen and Nick; Dennis (Jana); Tom (Nancy), and their daughter Emily; Pat (Nancy), and their sons John, Joe, Charlie and Tim; Terry (Diann), and their sons Andy and Zac; Kathy Curry (John), and their daughters Laura, Teresa, Clare, Elizabeth, Grace and Anne. She is also survived by her sister, Dorothy Murphy, of Colorado. Vigil will be held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 3801 N. Miller Rd., Scottsdale, Friday, July 25 at 7:00 p.m. with visitation beginning at 5:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be Saturday, July 26 at 9:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help with graveside services to follow at St. Francis Cemetery, 2033 N. 48th St., Phoenix. We ask that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to St. Vincent de Paul Society or Hospice of the Valley.