DOWNEY - Longtime Downey resident Kate Ellen Grace passed away suddenly on April 19.She was born in Rome, Italy on Feb. 27, 1922. At the age of 14, she and her parents, William and Giuseppina Phipps, and younger brother Bob came by way of ship to the U.S. After a brief time living on the Jesus Maria Ranch in Santa Barbara, they settled in Glendale, where Grace met and married Ed. All three of their children, Michael, Patrick (who died of meningitis at age 3), and Carol, had been born before they moved to Downey in 1951. Ed joined the Los Angeles Police Department; after their children were raised, Grace became a real estate broker in Downey. Grace was a fervent Catholic her entire life, and attended daily Mass for more than 50 years. She was active in the OLPH Women's Guild and Bible study, and was a promoter of the League of the Sacred Heart. She also devoted time to Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity and other charitable and missionary organizations. A funeral Mass was held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church on April 24. She is survived by her daughter, Carol, of Plumas County, Calif.; grandchildren, Rebecca Zomorodian, Lisa Grace, Michael Grace, all of Orange County, Daniel Kearns, currently serving in Iraq with the U.S. Marines, Daisy Ching Kearns, currently in the Ukraine with the Peace Corps; and two great-grandchildren, Sara and Sasha Zomorodian, of Orange County.

********** Published: May 8, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 3