Gilroy resident
Lael Munster McCormack died Monday, Dec. 2, 2002 in Gilroy after a brief illness. She was 73.
Mrs. McCormack was born in Berkeley on March 5, 1929. She graduated in 1968 with honors from the first graduating class of Gavilan Junior College and earned a degree in art history from San Jose State University.
At 16, she was California State Junior Tennis doubles champion and in 1954 overcame paraplegia secondary to polio myelitis.
She spent her life serving the American Red Cross, which led to her many years of teaching swimming lessons, and the establishment of the McCormack School of Swimming in 1976. She took second place in freestyle at the 1980 National Paralympic Games in New York.
She served on the Gilroy School Board, the Parent- Teacher Association, the Gilroy Assistance League, the Children’s Home Society, Arts and Cultural Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Board of the Physically Challenged Appeals Committee. In 1967 she received Gilroy’s Woman of the Year award.
She was a former member of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, a founding member of Bethel Baptist Church of Morgan Hill and often attended South Valley Community Church.
She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Dr. Joseph G. McCormack of Gilroy; her children, Christine McCormack, Celia McCormack and Carla Adams, all of Gilroy, and Camille McCormack of Molokai, Hawaii; her brother, Gregg Munster of Bend, Ore.; five grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. at the Gilroy Presbyterian Church. A reception will follow the service in the church fellowship hall.
Memorials are preferred to the Lael McCormack Memorial Fund in care of South Valley National Bank in Gilroy.
