Mary Catherine McGranahan, 90, of Tulsa passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 with family members by her side. She had been battling cancer.
Mary was born in New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1932 to Philip and Anna Dougherty. She was raised at her family's farm, which had no indoor plumbing, until she was orphaned at approximately 11 and moved with her two brothers to be raised by cousins, Frank and Katie Zagst, in Shreveport, Louisiana. She graduated from St. Vincent's High School in 1950 as valedictorian and then attended and was a member of one of the first graduating classes at the University of Saint Thomas in Houston in 1953 (proudly graduating in three years). She moved to Tulsa in 1971 after having lived in Arkansas and Louisiana. Later, when her youngest of 10 children started kindergarten, she returned to school to obtain a Masters in Education from the University of Tulsa. She was an educator for several years at the Spartan School of Aeronautics and Tulsa Junior College and a volunteer at St. Francis Hospital.
She was married to the love of her life John Michael ("Mickey") McGranahan in [1953]. They were happily married for 33 years and had ten children: Diane, Ellen, Catherine, Michael (Eileen), Sharon (Don), Patrick (Juliet), Tim, Linda (Tom), Rusty (Mary Ellen) and Brian (Amy). She is preceded in death by her parents and adoptive parents, husband, brother Philip, and daughter, Catherine. She is survived by her brother, Joseph, nine of her children, 23 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
She was a devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She spent a great deal of her time traveling around the country to births, baptisms, confirmations, graduations, weddings and other family events. She often declared May and June to be her "busy season" and you had to book early.
She was a member of Church of St Mary and a devout Catholic. For many years she attended daily Mass and, as she would say, "Twice on Saturday so that she could take Sunday off." She would note that she had a lot of people to pray for.
She was fiercely independent but patient and eternally positive. She always had everyone's number and a wry sense of humor to the end. She was the rock and leader and loved a tremendous amount by everyone in her large family.
Rosary will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, December 2, and a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 3, both at Church of St Mary in Tulsa.