Winifred Downing

1925 - 2016

Winifred Kuhn Downing

October 28, 1925 - April 2, 2016

Passed away peacefully at home at age 90 on April 2, 2016. Mom was born October 28, 1925, in Chicago, to parents Nicholas and Marguerite Kuhn. Although she lost her sight through illness at the age of 18 months, she led a spiritual life and one of great accomplishment.
Mom attended John Marshall High School in Chicago and graduated highest in her class from Rosary College with an English degree in 1947. Prepared to be an English teacher, and despite a teacher shortage at the time, few positions existed for blind women so she redirected herself and obtained a Master's Degree in Social Work from Loyola University. Mom worked with low income blind students in Chicago, determined to guide them towards occupations where sightlessness would not be a disadvantage.
In 1950 she began a 41 year teaching career with the Hadley School for the Blind in Winnetka, Il. She taught correspondence courses in English, braille reading and shorthand, and home economics. She had 125 students, some in distant countries and a few who were incarcerated. In addition to teaching, she helped publicize the school's work and raised funds by giving hundreds of lectures. The school went on to serve 2600 students in 55 countries. Happy must have been the local mailman who delivered her heavy braille books daily, when mom finally retired.
Glenn Downing, who lost his sight to diabetes, appeared at Hadley as a student in 1953. A charmed romance soon began and mom and dad were married a year later. They settled in San Francisco, bought a Sunset District house and started a family in Holy Name Parish. Together, through hard work and sacrifice, they raised four children and provided each a Catholic education through high school. They were married less than 20 years when Glenn died from complications of diabetes at age 39. Mom's eternal faith in God and the support of an endless community of friends helped guide her through a period of great sorrow.
Mom participated in Holy Name Parish for over 60 years and attended daily mass for most of them. She was president of the Mother's Guild and Parish Council and in early years, ironed altar vestments, read as a Sunday lector and helped as a grade school room mother. Mom cherished the 50-year companionship with her wonderful friends from the Holy Name Sewing Club. They laughed and cried together through the joys and burdens all families know.
A lifelong Democrat who followed the workings of government and legislation closely, mom's frequent letters to Congress were thoughtful and humorous. Her social consciousness led her to demonstrate her support for striking Delano grape harvesters and she marched against segregation in the '60s. More currently, she corresponded monthly for over a decade with pen pal, Clifford, a death row inmate in Louisiana.
Mom was a tireless advocate for the advancement of opportunities for the visually impaired. In the early tech years of Silicon Valley, she was chosen to experiment with revolutionary electronic devices designed to make the printed word tactile. As past president of the SF chapter of the California Council of the Blind, she traveled constantly, often alone, to state and national conventions promoting educational and financial opportunities for the visually impaired. With the help of her chapter friends, mom initiated a grant program that each year provides an electronic device to a selected blind student. While technology has provided great advances, mom continued to be an advocate for the use of braille at all levels of education.
No amount of gratitude is too much for the amazing people who chose to enter mom's life and contribute their love and support. For decades, Dad's cousin, Barbara Wickham, was absolutely mom's best friend. Her giddy disposition and monthly visits to the City provided endless happy memories. In recent years, Charlie Dorris, Ellie Lee, and Laura McCabe encouraged mom through friendship and conversation and a willingness to help with anything. Mom often spoke admiringly of all three.
For the last five years of mom's life Cecilia Gonzalez was not only her caregiver but a daughter, sister, and saint. Always there with a smile, warm touch, and a song, she provided the sunshine of each day. Our endless thanks will never be enough.
Mom is remembered as a wonderful hostess and cook who loved to entertain with her good china. She played the piano beautifully and was a masterful knitter, creating treasured baby clothes, afghans, and Irish knit sweaters. She loved to listen to Giants baseball and most evenings would find her with a cup of tea, knitting needles and the voice of Jon Miller.
She is survived by her loving daughters, Christine McClure (Bill), Eileen Roddy (Jim), her sons Mike (Terry) and Steve (Christina), and grandchildren Patrick, Kathleen, Ben, Cole, Loretta, Michael, Franny, Bridget, Glenn, Seamus, Molly and three great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Marguerite Kowaleski (Ed) and brother Nick Kuhn. She was predeceased by husband, Glenn, sister-in-law, Joan and grandson Matthew.
An 11:00am memorial Mass preceded by a decade of the Rosary at 10:30am, will be held on Monday, April 11, 2016, at Holy Name of Jesus Church, 39th Avenue and Lawton Street, San Francisco. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Xavier Society for the Blind, Two Penn Plaza, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10121-1100 or Holy Name Church, 1555 -39th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122, or SF Chapter CCB Student Education Access Grant, 1271 Washington Ave. #144, San Leandro, CA 94577-3646.