Mary Jo Dignam
PORTERVILLE, Calif. — Mary Jo Dignam, 63, of Porterville, Calif., passed
on June 3, 2006, after bravely battling complications from a gastric bypass surgery.
She was born on Feb. 22, 1943, in Pasadena, Calif. She was surrounded by all of
her children, family and close friends at the time of her death.
She originally came to the Porterville area in 1979 and graduated from The College of The Sequoias in 1982 with a degree in nursing. She was a nursing supervisor at Lindsay Medical Center. After the purchase of a franchise of Option Care, a home health care agency in 1986, she relocated to Oceanside, Calif. Upon the sale of that company, she returned to the Porterville area in 2002, to spend more time with her children and grandchildren whom she adored. While here, she worked as the RN clinical supervisor at the Tule River Indian Healthcare Center.
She was preceded in death by her father, Harry Dignam. She is survived by her mother, Marge Dignam of Newport Beach, Calif.; two sisters, Jeanne and husband Don Mills of Arcadia, Calif., and Liz and husband Richard Ruiz of Long Beach, Calif.; three brothers, Burke and wife Janet Dignam of Long Beach, Calif., Duffy and wife Jane Dignam of Porterville and Clancy Dignam of Porterville; She is also survived by her six children, Sean Belcher, Kelle Lowe, Andy and wife Peggy Belcher, Clayton and wife Roxanne Dignam of Porterville, Timothy Belcher, Christopher and wife Michelle Belcher of Mount Vernon, Ohio. She will be missed by her 12 grandchildren, Ryan, Darin, Christopher, Ashley and Matthew Belcher of Mount Vernon, Ohio; Brandon Lowe, Mikayla and Dylan Balangue, Mercedes Lisenbery, Alexis, Clayton II and Infinity Dignam of Porterville. She is also survived by aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces and friends, too many to be named.
She loved camping with her family, whether in the mountains or at the coast. But we all knew she was most at home on the beach with her toes in the sand. Mary Jo was a compassionate, loving mother who was the strongest woman her family knew. She touched many lives and took in many the wayward soul. Two in particular that her children consider brothers are Humberto Cabada of Porterville, Calif., and Tracy Matteson of Mojave Valley, Ariz.
Our Mother, Sister, Daughter, Grandmother and Friend was a special woman and will leave a legacy of love and inspiration to everyone she met. She will be greatly missed by all that knew her.
The family of Mary Jo wishes to thank Hospice for their compassion and caring during this difficult time and requests that any donations be made to Hospice of Tulare County at 900 W. Oak St., Visalia, CA 93291; (559) 686-5968.
