April 21, 1942 - August 10, 2024
Mrs. Mary Catherine “Mary Kate” Gill Vosburg died peacefully in Stockton, California on August 10, 2024 at the age of 82.
Mary Kate is survived by her loving husband of more than 56 years James Stewart Vosburg; by her children and their spouses Mary Catherine Vosburg, Suzanne and Chuck Rockel, Patrick and Christie Vosburg, and Tom and Elena Vosburg; her grandchildren Adrianna Gonzalez and her husband Jorge Gonzalez, Eliaza Rivera, Henry Vosburg, Clara Vosburg, Lucille Vosburg, Madeline Vosburg, and Ethan Vosburg; her great grandchild Scarlett Gonzalez; and by her brother Steven Gillis.
Mary Kate was born on April 21, 1942 in Sonora, California to Mary Catherine Guerin and Gerald Gill. She graduated from University of California Berkeley with her Bachelor of Arts degree and with her Master of Arts degree in Sociology in 1964. She became an elementary school teacher in Tuolomne, California. It was there that she met her soulmate Jim Vosburg and after a three-month whirlwind, they married in 1968. The newlyweds moved to Stockton, California, where they settled and welcomed four children into their home in less than five years. For 33 years, Mary Kate was an elementary school teacher in the Lincoln Unified School District, where she was beloved by her students and colleagues alike. Mary Kate was proud to be a fulltime teacher while also raising her four children and later helping to raise her grandchildren. After retiring from their teaching careers, Jim and Mary Kate took on a new full-time gig involving the care and feeding of horses, and they took up square dancing, where their love for one another continued to shine.
Mary Kate’s children remember her as a kind, warm, loving mother who had unparalleled manners and high expectations. She was an extremely charitable person who never second guessed sacrificing her own needs or wants to assist others in need. She was a passionate animal lover who had no limits when it came to caring for all kinds of creatures—from dogs, to cats, to birds, to horses, to donkeys, they always had a place in Mary Kate’s home and heart. Mary Kate was proud of her academic achievements, her California heritage, and her family, who laid roots in Sonora during the Gold Rush.
The funeral is scheduled for September 5, 2024 at 1 o’clock in the afternoon at Cherokee Memorial Park, 14165 Beckman Road, Lodi, California, with a reception to follow at the same location. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Mary Kate’s life.
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Cherokee Memorial is honored to serve the Vosburg family.