Ursula Lowndes Gillooly

Ursula Lowndes Gillooly, age 95, passed away peacefully 11/8/19 at her Winter Park, Florida home with Jack Gillooly, her husband of 74 years, at her side.

A Mass and Memorial service will be held near her mountain home at St. Francis Of Assisi Catholic Church on Saturday, December 14, at 11 AM. She will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

Ursula was born in New Haven, CT to Ursula Lowndes and Thomas Henderson Tuohy on 6/19/24. She attended Trinity College in Washington, DC and later married Ensign John Fallon Gillooly on 12/23/45 in Bethel, CT. She became a tireless homemaker, mother to five children, and a great pillar of strength for the family during multiple wars, deployments, and duty stations around the world.

Ursula was the perfect wife and mother for this huge task - strong, smart, loving, and beautiful. She was an experienced international traveler, entertained, and was entertained by royalty during her husband's Mediterranean deployments with aircraft carrier, WASP.

Ursula was a life-long gardener, a voracious reader, and a member of St. Margaret Mary's Parish in Winter Park. She possessed an extraordinary Christian faith which sustained her during difficult times. She would later be a part of a powerful Holy Spirit led prayer group at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Also, central to her spiritual life was her active participation as a team member in the Cursillo renewal movement.

Ursula's larger-than-life presence and high expectations for her five children had a major impact on motivating them in their career paths. We are grateful for her encouragement and faith in our abilities.

Finally, one of her greatest joys was her role as "Ura" - grandmother to 11 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Their lives were enriched by her unconditional love and occasional bits of pithy advice.

Ursula is survived by her husband, CAPT John F. Gillooly, USN Ret. and their children, Irene Gillooly Parsons, John (Nancy), Lon (Bebe), Paul (Bobbie) and Bryn (Brenda). She is also survived by grandchildren, Matthew, Sarah, Fallon, Victoria, Jon, Bo, Bethany, Anna, Rachel, Ryan, Bryanna, and three great grandchildren, Charlie, Jack, and Caroline.

We all miss her very much and grieve her passing.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Baldwin-Fairchild Funeral Home in Winter Park. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be given to St Francis Catholic Church, 7715 River Road, Townsend, TN 37882 or Cornerstone Hospice of Orlando, FL.

The family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to the Mayflower Winter Park staff, Dr. Jesus Lopez and his Geriatric Clinic staff and to her compassionate caregivers, Heather Welch, Linda Daniel, Merita Reid and Deloris Broderick; and in Tennessee, to Dr. Wally Werner and Brent Mallo.