Vesna Maria Mulcahy

On September 10,2021, Vesna Mulcahy died in Pleaant Hill, CA.  She was born in Susak, Croatia, in 1935.  She and her late husband Dr. Gabriel  Mulcahy were married for nearly 56 years, and together they raised seven children, including Mary Vargo (John), Michael, Robert (Ginna), Richard (Elizabeth), the late Thomas, John (Ana), and Gabriel, and were adoring grandparents to John, Kevin, and and Matthew Vargo, Julia, Christopher, Stevie, Katie,Jamie, Mary Hope, John, Thomas, Joseph, Ana, and Marina Mulcahy.  She is also survived by treasured extended family, including Patricia Shalhoub and family, Rajko (Inga) Malojcic and family, and by dear family friend Anne Marie Mersereau.  In addition to her husband and her son Thomas, she is reunited with her parents, George and Mila Rukavina Ticak, her parents-in-law Joseph ansd Anna (nee Conway  Mulcahy) sister-in-law, Josephine Mulcahy,  and brothers-in-law, Joseph Mulcahy  and John Shalhoub .  She can now meet her sisters Nadica and Mila, who as infants  predeceased  Vesna's birth  but whose presence Vesna always carried in her heart. Vesna and her parents left Croatia in 1947, living in Rome, Italy and Buenos Aires, Argentia, until her family arrived in Aberdeen, Washington in the early 1950's, where she attended Weatherwax High School.  While always maintaining pride in her Croatian heritage, Vesna obtained her US citizenship, a thrill which would never fade for her.  She attended Seattle University, supported by scholarship from that  Jesuit institution.  She became certified as a medical technologist and worked  at Children's Orthopedic Hospital in Seattle.  In 1958, she met and married Gabriel, who at the time was training in pathology at the University of Washington.  Duringt heir marriage, they lived  in Staten Island, NY , Detroit MI, and Omaha, NE, eventually residing for 46 years in Gabriel's hometown of Jersey City, NJ.  In widowhood, she lived for several years in the Cleveland, OH area, and for the last four years of her life she resided in Pleasant Hill, CA.  The family wishes to recognize the staff at Aegis of Pleasant Hill, who provided such caring attention in her final years.  

Vesna was a loving wife, mother, grandmotherand friend.  She always wanted those she loved to thrive and shine, not drawing attention to herself.  In addition to family togetherness, she loved sunshine, reading, laughter, and especially, traveling, car rides and generally any opportunity to "get out of the house", particularly when visiting grandchildren was involved.  She was devoted to her Catholic faith, and was known to frequently turn (virtually always successfully) to intercession from St. Anthony.

 Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Paul the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, Jersey City, NJ, on September 24,2021. 

Should anyone wish to consider a donation in Vesna's memory, Seattle University's Annual Scholarship Fund is suggested( 901 12th Avenue,Seattle WA 98122: Seattleu.edu/giving/).

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