Charlotte McCann

Charlotte Anne Ryan McCann, wife to Edward, mother to Ed, Bill, Maureen and Kathleen and beloved grandmother to 13, passed away on March 5th, 2016. Her life was her family and her passion was her community at St. Bernadette's church. For 25 years she "touched the future" and taught class after class after class of elementary school students, most in first grade; she also founded St. Bernadette's kindergarten in 1982. If God was able to hand select a first grade teacher at his school, he would have selected Charlotte. She was unfailingly kind, patient and caring. She lived and taught her Catholic faith and she was the person that hundreds of parents could trust as their child's first formative teacher when they went to school. Her students loved her and she knew each by name when she said "hello" to them as they graduated high school, or college or later in life. Most of us remember our kindergarten or first grade teacher well - Charlotte was lucky enough to live in so many students' fond memories through their lifetime.



Charlotte did much more than teach, she lived her faith and volunteered in countless ways for others through the parish including, operating St. Bernadette's food pantry, administering communion and companionship to home bound elderly and disabled, as a eucharistic minister at mass and in countless other ways. God touches athletes and grants them with physical gifts which permit them to run fast and jump high and they are rare, but he is more selective with those who whose greatest legacy is service to others and to his church. The world has enough athletes, the world can use more Charlotte McCanns.



To her beloved parish St. Bernadettes she was a historian of countless children and families and their stories. She was always there to help and to share in a family's joys as well as its more difficult times. She had a knowledge and love of her community which few of us will know. It was a gift to her and she was a gift to her community. To those familiar with the small Delaware County communities, defined by parish, we know how special a place like Drexel Hill and St. Bernadette's parish can be and Charlotte was one of the persons who make it so special.



A person with so much to give, she was a strong matriarch to her family starting with her beloved husband Ed, to whom she was married for 54 years. She relished in her family and, after Church on Sunday spent time preparing a big Sunday dinner where her children and grandchildren would gather and talk and grow, week after week. Sunday was faith and family. Her and Ed's family successful and loving example was replicated in the families of their four children, Ed, Bill, Maureen and Kathleen. She was her grandchildren's biggest supporters, attending their sporting events, theater projects, dance recitals, school concerts or first day of school - they were her light and life. It was no surprise that it was not the win or loss, or the high note reached or missed, it made no difference to her they were her grandchildren. In spirit and in memory, she will continue to be with them all through their lifetime.



She was loved by her family, her friends and her community at St. Bernadettes and will be missed.