Obituary of Teresa Ann McSharry

TERESA ANN McSHARRY Teresa Ann McSharry was born March 10, 1933, to Walter Ignatius John McSharry and Mary Vincent (Sargent) McSharry , the fourth of eight children, in Greeley, Nebraska. She died December 29, 2005 at Olympia, WA. Surviving siblings: Anna Mae Livingston, Olympia, WA; Dr. Agnes Clare Brandabur, Istanbul, Turkey; Roger (Judy) McSharry, Port Orford, OR; Maralyn (Jim) Bertis, Spokane, WA; Janis McSharry, Rita Rambo, and Carol Griffin, all of Seattle, WA. Her parents and two daughters (Eileen Noble and Marie Cloward) predeceased her. Surviving children: Robert Goble (Angela), Braman, OK; Kurt Goble, Seattle, WA; Leanna Conklin, Saratoga, CA; Richard (Joyce) Goble, Caldwell, KS; Nicole (Tom) McGinty, San Jose, CA; Jeffrey Lostrie, Santa Clara, CA; Walter Lostrie, Yelm, WA; Joe (Jeni) Lostrie, Kent, WA; William (Anita) Smith, Brentwood, CA; plus 17 grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, and many friends. She was the fourth of eight children. The family lived on a farm about five miles from Greeley, about two miles from O'Connor; across the road north of the Tom and Mary Foster farm, across the road east of the James and Elizabeth (McSharry) Foster farm. Teresa and her siblings attended St. Joseph's Academy at O'Connor and the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary there, until the family moved to Holy Rosary parish in West Seattle, Washington, in February of 1944. She and Richard Goble (deceased), had six children: Robert, Eileen (deceased), Marie (deceased), Kurt, Leanna, and Richard. She and Jeffrey Lostrie (deceased) had four children: Nicole, Jeffrey, Walter, and Joseph, in the Sunnyvale-San Jose area of California. She and Hal Smith (deceased) had one son, William. Her working career was primarily in food service and catering. In 1985 she was in charge of the kitchen at the mother house of the Holy Name Sisters (about 200 residents) in Los Gatos, California before she moved back to Seattle to take care of her mother, who died in November of 1987. She returned to cooking jobs for Father Mallahan at Holy Rosary, for a sorority house at the University of Washington, and also the West Seattle Senior Center, before retiring. By January of 1998 she had teamed up with a nephew, Bob Livingston, at his home on Legion Way in Olympia. They hosted many foreign students studying English at the E.F. Language College (located on The Evergreen State College campus). They both cooked and baked, and became famous among the international students for their good food! She moved to her son Jeff's cabin about 9 miles south of Yelm in late 2001 and enjoyed living on the bank of the Deschutes River near Cougar Mountain. It was a long way out, but a beautiful spot. Her son Walt lived with her and helped out during some of the time she was first there. She had to use 911 services several times during 2005 because of severe breathing problems from emphysema. She called 911 the evening of November 3, 2005, and was taken to St. Peter Hospital. She was given breathing treatments and two units of blood to remedy anemia. After a few days she was transferred to Evergreen Nursing and Rehabilitation Center during radiation treatments for a new cancer near the spine; outside the lung but inside the pleura. Some heart problems were complicating her situation. We gave her a "re-birthday" party on December 13 at Evergreen because she thought she would be released to go home before the next weekend. Instead, She finally returned to St. Peter's for the last week of her life. The staff there were a blessing. She was happy that eight of her nine surviving children were able to visit her recently, and some of them were able to stay until she completed her transition at about 5:45 a.m. December 29. It must have been easier for her because Richard was giving her a foot rub that she always enjoyed. She was involved in all decisions about her care and had signed a request that she not be kept alive by machine if she could not live and breathe on her own with the help of oxygen. She seemed to be fully aware until about the last three days and then slept peacefully most of that time At one point she asked if we could understand her, then proceeded to slowly relate a joke which had us all in stitches. She was a member of the Eagles and the Moose in Yelm, and Prime Timers at St. Michael. She endured many difficulties throughout her life but surely earned happiness on the next level by doing the best she could. She loved going to play Bingo with friends. Her children will miss her frequent "care packages." Everyone will miss her humor, hospitality, great food, salads, pumpkin bread; and all those wonderful greeting cards and letters which she made time to write. And how will we manage without the hundreds of rosaries she offered on behalf of all of us? Maybe she will continue that in the next world while celebrating being there. A memorial Mass is planned for Saturday, March 11, 2006, at 11:00 a.m., to celebrate her life and her RE-birthday, at St. Michael Catholic Church, Olympia, WA.