Obituary of Grace Marie Dugan

Grace Marie Dugan, affectionately called Gracie, was the fourth and final daughter of William and Grace Dugan, born April 9, 1961, raised in Pennsauken, NJ on Mansion Blvd. Grace is survived by her sisters Lisa Fynan (Rick), Patti Forker, and Ann Marie Yambo’ (the late William), her nieces and nephews Matthew Dugan, Jessica Yambo’ (Diane Vazquez), Corey Forker, William Yambo’, Emma Forker and her great nephews Damian Pagano and Camrin Robinson.

She attended St. Stephen’s Catholic school through 8th grade and graduated from Pennsauken High School in 1979.

Life was not the easiest for Grace, her sisters and their dad, having lost her mother in 1973, just one month before Grace’s 12th birthday. There were winters without heat, and years without new shoes or clothes. It would be these early years that solidified Grace’s dogged determination and fierce independence, which led to her motto “Who can I rely on? ME MYSELF AND I!” Despite these difficult times, the sisters were surrounded by family and friends to help them. The nuns of St. Stephen’s Parish buying her a dress and shoes to wear to her 8^th grade graduation. The DeVone’s on the opposite corner who would care for and feed the girls. The Deputy’s across the street who would bring them down to Reeds Beach during the summers to go crabbing. Uncle Jim and Aunt Flo Dugan who would take Grace and the sisters away on vacations, allowing them to see a world outside of Pennsauken.

During high school, Grace and the sisters worked at a nursing home in Merchantville, NJ where they would meet one of their life-long friends, and “inner circle” member Sue Watson-Taormina, who never missed an opportunity to remind Grace that she would always be older than Sue by 7 months. After graduating from Pennsauken, Grace began working at Accurate, where she would meet Wayne and Sarah Goebel. Sarah would become a lifetime friend, celebrating all of life’s milestones together, and starting a Christmas Eve tradition of exchanging only the finest, most luxurious gifts that were sure to cause envy. Grace eventually moved on from Accurate, and was introduced to Mark Baiada, who hired Grace at BAYADA Home Health care in 1988. It was only fitting Grace joined a home health care agency, as throughout her life, she and her family were caregivers for terminally ill loved ones. Grace would spend the next 36 years with BAYADA. She founded the collections department, working alone in a basement in Moorestown. From there, she continued to grow with the company, eventually becoming an area director. She was passionate about her work, about honesty, and integrity, never cutting corners and fighting hard for what was right.

In 1985, the sisters bought a home together in Merchantville with Grace’s two brothers-in-law, her father, and at the time just one nephew, Matthew, and niece Jessica, soon to be joined by niece Corey that year, and nephew William in 1986. Merchantville became her forever home, holding countless parties, be it for birthdays, New Years, or just because it was a beautiful September day. Not only was this home for celebrating, but it was one for comforting and caring. Through the years, Grace and her sisters cared for their father Bill, their Uncle Maurice, and their beloved friends Johnny and Kevin, allowing them all to pass peacefully in the Merchantville home, with dignity and surrounded with love.

Grace made sure she had fun in life! She was an absolute sucker for fast cars, owning a Firebird then a Cougar before buying not one, but two Corvettes in her lifetime. It wasn’t always that way, as her first car was a Ford Pinto which needed to be thrown into neutral to keep running at lights. She enjoyed a good martini, delicious sushi, and a table full of friends. Time with her loved ones was something Grace cherished the most. Be it the Outer Banks with the Frank Family, the Poconos with the Stewart’s, Bunco nights with the girls, meetings of the “Inner Circle” or nights out with Barb Tietze, Lisa Woods, and Linda Bundy. Grace never missed an opportunity to have quality time with the ones she loved, sharing stories, laughter and sometimes tears. Grace’s favorite times of year were Halloween, where no little kiddie was spared a good fright, and Christmas, where that gift you really wanted but thought was too unreasonable to ask for, was under the tree from her.

There were a few things Grace was not so good at. We are, after all, just humans and we have flaws; Grace’s were just funnier than most. For starters, she was left-handed, and as such, couldn’t perform daily chores according to her dad. This meant no doing laundry, cleaning, or cooking, much to her sisters’ chagrin. Grace also didn’t have a firm grasp of the alphabet, having to be banned from singing it to children for skipping one too many letters. Geography, thankfully, was not required for her job. Did you know Brazil was in Europe? Well, according to Grace it was. But she was most famous for her “Gracie-isms”. Common idioms that she could never get right, but refused to stop saying. Two of her most famous come to mind. “I wear my emotions on my shoulder” and “You attract more flies with sugar than soured milk.”

Grace loved to spoil, or as she would say “show love”, to all her nieces and nephews, but undoubtedly when her great nephew Damian was born in 2004, he got the best of her. Their bond was so special. Every Friday in the summer starting around 2010, Grace would have her “Damian and me” days. Adventures were had. New places discovered. A lifetime of memories was made.

What brought Grace the most joy, however, was giving. For many years, Grace and her sisters volunteered at Bingo in St. Stephens, which could be a very dangerous place. One time Grace was cornered by the little old ladies in the bathroom complaining she called too fast. But Grace was equally as feisty and gave it right back. After Bingo, she spent over 15 years volunteering with her whole family at Fishes and Loaves, a food pantry run out of the First Moravian Church of Riverside. It was here that “Princess Grace” really shown through. In between sorting groceries, Grace would grab drinks and candy for the kids who came in with their parents. She would make sure we had milk and butter to hand out during the holidays. Most importantly, she made everyone who had to come feel important, worthy, and unashamed for needing help. Even when Grace wasn’t supporting different organizations and causes, she would just help anyone on the street. She believed in brightening someone’s day just because. The greatest Grace-giving story, that we know of, is when she overheard two employees discussing how hard it was paying for school and maintain other bills. Grace, accompanied by Damian, came back to the store with two envelopes full of cash for each employee. Why? Because Grace believed everyone deserves the chance, no matter their circumstance, to succeed in life, and sometimes it takes help from a total stranger. We will never know how many people Grace truly helped in the end. What comfort it brings us to know her legacy of giving has touched so many lives.

In the last decade, Grace has overcome more than what seemed fair. In 2012, she had open heart surgery to repair a valve, which failed immediately while still in the hospital. During her recovery we had another scare, and had it not been for her BAYADA nurse, we would have lost Grace back then. In 2021, she fractured her back just after her 60th birthday. In November of 2022 she had a successful valve replacement, but this success was undercut because in February 2023 Grace suffered an abdominal arterial bleed. But, as stated, Grace had dogged determination. She refused to lay down, literally, and fought to survive, which she did… in typical Grace fashion: blow drying her hair as she waited for the paramedics, making jokes with the ER staff, and keeping everyone at Cooper Hospital laughing.

We sadly lost Grace March 7th, 2024 unexpectedly, but peacefully in her sleep. Grace was a light in this world that can never be dimmed as long as we continue to live with her memory in our minds and her generous spirit in our hearts.

Relatives and friends are invited to the Visitation on Thursday, March 14, 2024 from 10-11:30 AM at the St. Stephen's Church, 6306 Browning Road, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:30 AM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the AIDs Fund at 2628 Orthodox Street, Philadelphia PA 19137 or online at www.aidsfundphilly.org/support/donate/