In Memory

Pauline McGrath (Thomas)

Pauline McGrath (Thomas)

Pauline passed away on Januaery 22, 2021



 
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09/13/21 08:04 PM #1    

Alan Crosby

 

 

As there are no comments..nor an obit ...for this wonderful person, I took liberty to re-post Roger Watson’s special tribute to Pauline for all our classmates to see;                                                                                    

Posted on: Mar 10, 2021 at 2:30 pm

Being the month of March, many begin to anxiously, longingly look forward to the coming of April, Spring, and with it the sun's warmth and new life. This is a cycle as old as man and woman. Regardless of the state of the world, the natural process of the world continues without interruption. 

Another cycle is also natural, and it too continues without interruption - the cycle of life and death. It has been said that from our moment of birth, we begin to die each day. We need to enjoy the spring, the new life, and the process of life that comes with our existence. The covid virus has seemingly turned our focus on life to that of death. Is that what we should focus on?

Today, my focus is on both death and life. On January 22, one of my oldest friends passed away, Pauline (Thomas) McGrath. I last saw Pauline in the summer of 1968. Many of us have realized that the bonds of our relations with our high school classmates are not easily broken. My bond with Pauline may have been frayed on occasion but never broken.

We often spoke to each other over the years. I last talked to Pauline just before Christmas this past year. I had intended to call her the week before she died, but work, family, and life seemed to get in the way. I could rightfully be accused of not making it a priority. I suspect that in the back of my mind, there was always tomorrow. Sadly, tomorrow ran out for Pauline and me. 

Pauline had a small home in Jensen Beach, Fl, and, like many of our classmates, she died alone but no unloved. She was close to her family, son, daughter, and grandson, who was the apple of her eye.

It is more difficult for me to write about Pauline than several of my former teammates. Pauline's friendship, along with the many other female friends I was fortunate to have in high school, helped me learn what it meant to be a man. No, I am not referring to sex. I am referring to learning how I should act towards a woman, how they should be treated, talked to, given the respect they deserve. Pauline was not afraid to call me out, explain to me how I should, or more likely, should have handled a given situation. Thankfully, she would also give me credit when I got something right. Many of you women who befriended me in high school taught me the same or similar things. I was closer to Pauline than most "girls" in high school, so her influence may have been more significant, but the message was pretty much the same, apply the golden rule to our relationship. "Do unto me as you would have me do unto you." 

Yes, as some may remember, Pauline and I occasionally found ourselves walking on the "wild" side. I won't excuse it, and neither would Pauline. We were trying to deal with adult bodies, adult activities with adolescent minds with predictable results. But we survived to learn from our errors. I cannot speak for Pauline, but while it may not have been an immediate transition, it was a transition.

Are any of us the same person as we were in high school? Some of us may be better, some of us no change, and some of us need to take a summer school class. Perhaps not for most of you, but for me, I think who I am today has a lot to do with who I was in high school and those who surrounded me with love, care, and concern, and none more so than Pauline.

Having said this, I would like to focus on life. In the process of life, we have two choices. We can be either annuals or perennials. An annual plant blooms go to seed and die all in one growing season. They are here today and gone tomorrow. Perennials, because of their robust root system, continue to bloom year after year. As painful as they may have been for us, our high school years influenced whether we have become annuals or perennials. Pauline was a perennial. The roots that she gave her family and friends, and me, allow each of us the potential to be perennials. There is life after death - be a perennial.

If you are interested, Pauline's family is streaming her memorial service live. The service will be on March 13 at 11 am at All Saints Episcopal Church in Jensen Beach. It will be streamed live on www.youtube.com/c/allsaintsjensenbeach. in place of flowers, donations to All Saints Episcopal Church will be appreciated.

All comments

Donna Crew Lund

I too lost a dear long-time friend with Pauline's passing. Well done, well said Roger. 

Mar 10, 2021 at 3:47 pm ·  · Reply

 

Ellen Burns Little

So sorry to hear about Pauline. She was a great friend. Your writing is so on point and much appreciated. We kept in touch over the years also. After she moved from the Cape, we only were in touch by phone. Thanks for posting the service details. RIP Pauline. 

Mar 12, 2021 at 8:49 am ·  · Reply

 

Alan Crosby 

Met Paula in fourth grade at Cabot Elementary. She was bigger, stronger, and faster than me playing around. We were friends thru graduation. RIP Paula 

Mar 12, 2021 at 4:26 pm ·  · Reply

 

 

           

 

 

 


09/14/21 09:10 AM #2    

Michael Fischler

Beutiful testimony, sensitively recaptured, to a life vitally lived.

 


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