Patricia (Howell) McCauley (2009)

MCCAULEY, HOWELL, MACDONALD, KNUDSEN, AARON, PURDY, SPROULE, WAHRER, MASON

Posted By: Shirley Keating
Date: 2/5/2009 at 21:42:24

Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
February 4, 2009

PATRICIA HOWELL MCCAULEY, ALTA LOMA, CALIFORNIA

Patricia Howell McCauley, 75, daughter of Muriel and Hugo Howell, died Jan. 20, 2009, from complications of Alzheimer’s. She had been on hospice since April 2007 and was being cared for at her daughter’s home in Alta Loma, Calif.

Pat was born March 17, 1933, in Winterset. She started school in a one-room country school in Lee Township before the family moved to Winterset. Pat played basketball in junior high before her four years on the girls’ varsity team, which went to the state tournament in 1950 and 1951. She was selected to the State of Iowa First Team for those same years and was the tournament high scorer in 1950. She graduated from high school in May 1951. Pat married Dick W. McCauley on Aug. 15, 1951, at the First United Methodist Church in Winterset. Dick was in the United States Navy, stationed in San Diego, Calif., where their first two daughters — Alexandria (Andria), 11/18/1952, and Susan, 7/10/1954 — were born at the Naval Dispensary, North Island, San Diego. Their two other children — Daniel, 12/31/1955, and Pamela, 4/5/1957 — were born at the Madison County Hospital.

Pat started her secretarial career as a clerk typist in 1952 at the Naval Air Station, North Island, San Diego. She continued in that field, both with the federal government and private industry, until her retirement in 1992 as executive secretary to one of the six directorates at Commander-In-Chief Headquarters, Hawaii. Another significant position was with the U.S. Embassy, London, England from 1985 to 1987. Because of her high security clearance, she assisted the protocol office supporting the visits of Ms. Nancy Reagan and vice-president George Bush on their official visits to London. She also was sent to the U.S. Consulate office in Belfast, Ireland for two weeks during some unusual strife at that location. Between her assignments to the embassy, she was able to accompany her husband on numerous official visits to Madrid, Spain; Rome, Italy; and Frankfort, Germany. During their 30-month tour in London, she was able to attend 60 theater productions, and once each month, they went on weekend coach trips throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.

Following her retirement in 1992, they moved to Las Vegas, Nev., where she was employed for over 10 years with the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. On July 1, 1997, they sold their home and began full-time RVing — working summers at Yellowstone National Park, a guest ranch near Buffalo, Wyo., for two summers, and as campground host at Denali State Park in Alaska. One event that was never missed was attending the Madison County Bridge Festival each year in October. It remained her most favorite time of the year.

As Pat’s health declined, she became a resident at the Sunrise Assisted Living Home in Claremont, Calif., in June 2006. With a further downturn in her health and frequent falls, it became necessary in April 2007 to move her to her daughter’s home in Alta Loma, Calif.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents.

She is survived by her husband,Dick, and four children. They are Andria (Mrs. Robert) MacDonald, Kailua, Hawaii; Susan (Mrs. Chris) Knudsen, Chatsworth, Calif.; Daniel (Jennifer), New Bern, N.C.; and Pamela (Mrs. Ron) Aaron, Alta Loma, Calif. Also surviving are nine grandchildren — Michael, Ian (Jasmine) and Kristine MacDonald, Kailua, Hawaii; Ryan Purdy, Santa Barbara, Calif.; Jordon Knudsen, Chatsworth, Calif.; Dustin (Celia) Sproule, Tyler Aaron, Alta Loma, Calif.; and Drayton and Breeze McCauley, New Bern, N.C. Two great-granddaughters are Skylee Sproule, Alta Loma, Calif., and Mealani MacDonald, Kailua, Hawaii.

She also is survived by five siblings — Mark (Patricia) Howell, Johnston, Iowa; Bruce Howell, West Des Moines, Iowa; Craig (Carole) Howell, Connersville, Ind.; Mary Ann Wahrer, Boulder, Colo.; and Jean (Mrs. Jay) Mason, Flower Mound, Texas; plus numerous nieces and nephews.

A “Celebration of Life” will be held Oct. 9 at the First United Methodist Church in Winterset where she was a member.

Gravesite
 

Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen