Geraldine Ann (Rowan) Byrne Obituary (1933 - 2023)

Geraldine Ann (Rowan) Byrne, 90, of Seattle, passed away peacefully on December 9, 2023, surrounded by her loving children and family. Gerry was born the youngest of three on September 23, 1933 to Ralph and Mildred (Farry) Rowan in Seattle. She graduated from Holy Angels Catholic High School in 1951 and was the salutatorian of her class. After high school, she entered nursing school at Seattle University. Upon graduating college, she met her husband, Joseph Byrne, and they married the following year on February 18, 1955. They welcomed their first daughter in 1956, with two sons and two more daughters following closely behind. It's not a surprise that nursing was her calling because she was a caregiver at heart. After working a couple of years as a nurse, she decided to focus full-time on her vocation as a mother. Raising and caring for her five children was the highlight of her life. She was also close with her mother, caring for her during her last years. Gerry served many others throughout her life, and found immense joy in being a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Gerry loved to read and to learn. She read the newspapers daily, updating everyone on the current events, and sharing the more clever jokes from the comic section when in need of a good laugh. She went to the library often and always had a ton of books around. Stacks of books ranging from Catholic theology, to biographies, to history, to true crime, and her much loved medical dictionary, perched on her end tables. She loved a good documentary as well. Gerry shared her love of learning by taking her grandchildren on adventures to the zoo, the Seattle Art Museum, the theater, and the library. Gerry traveled extensively with her husband, Joe. They drove and visited all 50 states and every state capital, while also traveling throughout much of Europe. She was always willing to tell you about what she saw on her travels and the many pieces of history she learned. Gerry was a thrifty and practical woman with a sharp intellect. She went on daily walks at the old Northgate Mall keeping an eye out for a deal as she made her laps. Gerry would speak her mind if you needed advice, and she loved to talk to her friends, family, and neighbors. She was good at staying in touch, and still talked to her high school and college friends well into her golden years. Gerry and her husband Joe were devout and active Catholics at St. Catherine of Siena in Seattle since 1957, where they attended daily Mass and received the Holy Eucharist together. She valued her faith and her family, and will always be remembered as kind, generous, loving, and incredibly insightful. She is survived by her children, sons: Joseph Jr. (Robin) and Stephen (Marie), daughters: Cheryl Shelton (Garey), Karen Schomburg, and Chris, three grandsons: Kyle (Jacque), Connor, and Bryce Schomburg (Kara), five granddaughters: Megan Rhoden (Kanale), Colleen Newland (Matthew), Katie, Tracie Takisaki (Bryan), and Sierra Schomburg, and eleven great-grandchildren: Liam, Brennan, Declan, Owen, Guinevere, Finnian, Noah, Jack, Aurora, Gabriel and Jazlynn; and extended family and friends. She is preceded in death by her husband, Joseph, her parents, and her siblings: James and Patricia. Recitation of the Rosary will be held on Tuesday, December 19th at 10:30am followed by the Funeral Mass at 11:00am both at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church 8610 8th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Burial to follow at 2:30pm at Holyrood Catholic Cemetery, Shoreline, WA.