Norine Margaret McGonigle

Norine Margaret McGonigle was born January 4,1934 to John McGonigle and Nora Flynn McGonigle and was raised in Oakland, California as the youngest of seven children. Both her parents were born in Ireland, her father in Donegal and her mother at Clare Island, Mayo.
Her mother, Nora, passed away from cancer at just 44 years old when Norine was the age of 8. Along with her dad, her older sister, Rita (at the age of 21), tried to raise the younger siblings from that point on. Her mother's sister-in-law, Etta Flynn, also lived with the family prior to Nora's illness and Norine had a deep love for her aunt who was so caring and compassionate during Norine's difficult childhood.
Norine had physical challenges as a child and throughout her life. At the age of 10, she was diagnosed with scoliosis and was put in casts and braces for support and correction for 2 years. That proved to be ineffective. She had surgery and was bed-ridden for 8 months. When she was 13 and ready to start high school, she had 3 spinal fusion operations with a full body cast from head to knee. In spite of her medical interruptions, Norine was able to graduate from St. Elizabeth High School in Oakland 'on time" at the age of 17.
Shortly after graduating, Norine joined the convent with the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows in the Santa Cruz Mountains. She was later assigned to the St. Mary's Home for Boys in Beaverton, Oregon. She loved the Boys Home "a whole bunch" (in her words) and stayed there for 14 years. At one point she was asked to leave the Home for Boys to assist in a First-grade classroom in California but mid-year she had to teach on her own and felt totally unprepared for it. She decided to continue after the first year but was re-assigned back to the Boys Home and eventually became the Sister Superior there.
Norine's health problems continued and at age 32, an orthopedic doctor in Seattle recommended a new "cutting edge" surgery to install a Herrington rod in her back to help her breathing. After seven months of being bedridden she returned to the Boys Home. She then took on another role in a Catholic experimental transition team, but for a variety of reasons, after devoting 16 years in the convent, she made the difficult decision to leave. She went through all the proper channels to do so and received the approval of the Catholic church which was of vital importance to her. She remained a lifelong and practicing Catholic to the end of her life.
Upon leaving the convent she went to work at a number of places in the Portland area such as Woodland Park Hospital, OHSU, PSU, Roberti Wine Company, and General Telephone. During this time, she met her dearest and best friend, Shirley Carlo, who encouraged her to apply for a job at the Oregon Employment Department. Norine was hired and went to work in Hillsboro and eventually became an Office Coordinator in Beaverton working with Shirley who was the Office Manager. This was the beginning of a long career with the Employment Department and a source of many friendships that lasted long past her retirement in the 1990's.
Norine's story over 90 years has many ups and downs, both physically and emotionally, but she always had a twinkle in her Irish eyes, good humor, and relished a good joke (particularly told or quipped by her own tongue). She was independent, smart, and witty. She had faith in God, delighted in good conversation, sharing memories, and even on more difficult days she tried to look on the positive side. She always retained her love of family and mourned the loss of each of her siblings who passed on before her. She made many friends from the old days to those she met more recently, and if you were a true friend of Norine's, you were a friend forever. She was generous to her friends, family, and those less fortunate here and in Africa. Her charitable giving brought relief to so many. Norine was one in a million and gave joy to a world that needs more love, light and laughter. She will truly be missed.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:
Holy Spirit Sisters
2736 NE 54th Avenue
Portland, OR 97213
or
NW Pilot Project
1430 SW Broadway, Suite 200
Portland, OR 97201
A Funeral Mass for Norine M. McGonigle will be held on Thursday, August 29, 2024 at noon at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Portland, Oregon. Committal will be at Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery following at 2:30 PM.