Obituary of Gloria JoAnn McDonough (Berguetski)

Gloria JoAnn McDonough (Berguetski), of Saint Paul, passed away on March 23, 2022 at the age of 89. Gloria (Skip/Skippy) was born on August 24, 1932, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She was the 5th of 6 children born to Alice (Zoya) & Peter Berguetski. Gloria grew up on lower Payne Avenue in the Payne/Phalen neighborhood and was a proud graduate of the 1950 class of John A. Johnson High School. She had many wonderful adventures growing ‘up’ and ‘old’ with her dearest life-long friends who will miss her deeply: Jane, Jackie and Jeanne. In 1954, after several years of letters exchanged during the Korean War, Gloria married Anthony C. McDonough; a Marine through and through. They were blessed with three wonderful sons and three beautiful daughters. In the spring of 1969, Gloria was widowed at the young age of 36 becoming responsible for raising six young children: 2, 8, 10, 11, 12, & 13 years old. Growing up back then we never heard the words, ‘Single Mom’, though Mom became a trailblazer defining what it meant to successfully raise her children alone. Gloria created a home that was open to everyone. It was in the family home on Sherwood Avenue where she developed her strengths and encouraged her children to take risks, work hard and never do anything half-assed. She was an avid reader, used her green thumb to grow beautiful plants and gardens, and had a knack of making everyone feel welcome and connected. By always asking open-ended questions and truly listening to the responses Mom could ‘work a room’ like nobody’s business. By the end of any event she attended, everyone felt Gloria’s kind heart and special brand of love. Besides her parents and husband, Gloria was preceded in death by her brothers, George, Edward and Robert Berguetski; sisters, Lorraine Berguetski and Annabelle (Buzz) Duchene; and her beloved son, Thomas P. McDonough. She is survived by sisters-in-law, Jeanne Berguetski and Bonnie Berguetski; daughter-in-law, Lori McDonough; dear friend, Peggy Schmidt; and a host of wonderful nieces, nephews, great-nieces & nephews and great-great-nieces & nephews. Mom will be deeply missed by her children, Jim (Carol) McDonough, John (Shelly) McDonough, Linda McDonough-Rees (Mike Kloos), Karen McDonough (Willie Backes) and Lori (Mike) Dvorak. She was a beloved grandma and great-grandma to: Matt (Jen) McDonough and Addison & Grace, Andrew (Cassie) McDonough and Maddie, Connor & Macklin, Tegan (John) Humphry and Leighton, Colton & new arrival August 2022, Patrick McDonough, Ryan (Alex) McDonough, Jake McDonough, Kelly (Kevin) Bidon and William & Wesley, Thomas (Kim) McDonough and Layla & Braydon, Anthony (Ashley) Rees and Easton & Kinsley, McKaela (Seun) Jibowu and Lorraina & Greta, Taylor (Toree) Rees and Ava, Lorelei, Maisley & Everest, Colman (Tugba) Rees, Sara (Tyler) Titcomb and new arrival August 2022, Elizabeth (Taylor McGarvey) Sparks, Zachery Dvorak, Katie Dvorak, and Matt Dvorak. Gloria’s legacy lives in the hearts and minds of the ones she leaves behind. To paraphrase the hospice booklet, Gone from My Sight – The Dying Experience by Barbara Karnes, RN, we’ve sadly been grieving “She’s going, she’s going; she’s gone.” While the ones who’ve traveled ahead of her are celebrating, “She’s coming, she’s coming; she’s here!” Many special thanks to Sam and Karen with Accent Care Home Health - Fairview whose guidance, encouragement and caring hearts meant we were able to care for mom at home right through the time of Mom’s New Beginning. A Celebration of Life will be held 11:00am on Monday, March 28, 2022, Anderson Funeral Home, 1401 Arcade Street (Hwy 61), Saint Paul, with Visitation 1 hour before the service. Interment at Union Cemetery in Maplewood.