Gladys Mildred McCafferty

Gladys Mildred McCafferty

January 07, 1922 - June 29, 2011

Gladys Mildred McCafferty

January 07, 1922 - June 29, 2011

Obituary

Born Gladys Mildred Brozik on a farm near Iona in Gregory County, South Dakota, January 7, 1922 to Czech immigrants Mike and Kathrine, Gladys passed peacefully surrounded by loving family and friends June 29, 2011. The Brozik family soon moved to a farm near Winner, South Dakota where Gladys was the second youngest in a family of 10 brothers and sisters of The Greatest Generation. Three of her brothers served in the military, two in combat, one a training instructor while the youngest Ben, worked the family farm.

Gladys met her husband Robert Bob F. McCafferty in Cleveland, Ohio where she had moved with her sister’s family to work at Alcoa. Bob was a pharmacist at the local Thrifty Drug and Gladys would stop in for her favorite, Cherry Coke on her walk home from work. She thought he was handsome. He thought she was pretty and always made hers with extra syrup and she thought they were especially good! Bob’s parents moved from Nebraska to Pasadena, California, and Bob and Gladys soon followed and were married after Bob served in Italy and Africa during the war. Seeking a new life in California, the land of opportunity, they purchased the Perris Rexall Drug Store and served as the small farm town’s only pharmacy for many years. Opportunity knocked and they later opened Sun City Rexall Drugs in the then-new city. Gladys managed the books while Bob worked the pharmacy. They managed to employ their growing children and gave many of their friends and neighbors in the community their first jobs.

After retirement, Gladys and Bob followed their children to Orange County, CA where they settled in Laguna Woods. They were married for 55 years before Bob passed in 2004. Gladys is survived by her children Doug McCafferty, Dana Point, CA; Gayle Thorsen of Huntington Beach, CA and granddaughters Natasha and Katrina Thorsen; daughter-in-law Yvonne McCafferty; son-in-law Don Thorsen and many nieces and nephews throughout the Midwest and California.

Being a four-time cancer survivor, in lieu of flowers a memorial gift may be made at www.cancer.org. An online guest book is also available at www.oconnormortuary.com.

Services will held July 8, 2011 at 1 PM promptly at Riverside National Cemetery with a celebration of Gladys’ life at The Mission Inn, 2 PM on that day. Gladys is loved and will be missed while her kind and firecracker soul lives on with the Lord.

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6 responses to Gladys Mildred McCafferty

  1. Thank you, Doug, for telling us the the news of the loss of your mother. You know that we share with you the deep pain that comes with the death of those closest to us, as we have both gone through this before. Your friends are thinking of you at this time.

    Greg and Nancy Salvato

  2. Dear Yvonne and Doug, Gayle and Don, I am so saddened to hear of your Mom’s death. She rests peacefully with Our Savior and her dear husband Bob, now. Peace be with each of you, during these days as you remember all she gave you and so many others and as you morn for her. As kids we loved to go to your house in Perris! And of course your dad and my dad had lots to talk about! I will see you next Saturday.

  3. Dear Doug, Gayle and Family, Our thoughts and prayers are with you and family. I will remember all the good times with had together, and we did have fun! Dixie

  4. Bill Swegles says:

    Doug, I enjoyed knowing Gladys so much. She was always there to help me with our families’ business, as I’m sure she helped many others. She had a nice way about her. –Bill Swegles

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