Kathleen Patricia Duggan, age 84, died suddenly on November 6, 2013. She was born in Abbeyside, Dungarvan, County Waterford, Ireland in 1929 and married her husband, Johnny Duggan, in 1947. Because of extremely poor economic times in Ireland, Kathleen and Johnny, along with their two young children, Michael and Mary, emigrated from Ireland to Tacoma, Washington in 1953. Although Kathleen had never ventured more than 100 miles from her home in Ireland, she reluctantly made, while pregnant, the 5500 mile journey to Tacoma in order to try and provide a better life for her children. In 1955, she and Johnny constructed, piece by piece, a family home in Browns Point in which she lived until the time she died.
After settling in Tacoma, she had 3 more children, Edward, Helen and John. She had a lifelong devotion to all children. In addition to raising her own 5 children, she ran an in-home daycare from the early1960’s until the late 1990’s and was known as “Mommy Kathleen” to hundreds of children. Although she never sought attention, she was honored as the Washington State Mother of the Year in 1983 and represented Washington at a National Mother’s Convention in New York City. She was a “soccer mom” to some of this country’s best young soccer players decades before the term was invented. She was a longtime member of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Federal Way and the Irish Heritage Club. She is now dancing in heaven with her beloved husband who predeceased her in 2004.
She is survived by her five children (Michael, Mary, Edward, Helen and John), 13 grandchildren (Drew, Jack, David, Peter, Kim, Ken, Rory, Orlaith, Michael, Caitlin, Allison, Conor and Kyle), 7 great-grandchildren (Kaily, Kristal, Grace, Justin, Colin, Jaxon and Shea), 3 great-great-grandchildren (Tyson, Urijah and Finnegan) and her sister Chrissy and brother Decky.
A memorial service will take place on January 4, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Federal Way (3939 SW 331st St, Federal Way, WA 98023; 253-838-5924). In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Kathleen’s honor to one of the following charities: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (https://www.cff.org/GetInvolved/ManyWaysToGive/Donate/index.cfm (please select Washington Chapter or call 206-282-4770)); or Mary Bridge Children’s Foundation (https://www.multicare.org/foundations/donations/mary-bridge (click “other” and specify “Emergency Room” in the notes section)).
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílse
(May her faithful soul rest at the right hand of God)
