Bessie Elizabeth Mcguire

Bessie Elizabeth McGuire

June 6, 1932 – January 13, 2023

Bessie was the first child of Kenneth and Laura White McGuire. She was born at the family home in Trumbull Corners in Newfield. The midwife was

her grandmother, Urania Taber White, and there were complications with the birth. They thought Bessie had died and wrapped her in newspaper

while they worked to save her mother. Later they heard a crinkling newspaper, and she began a great life.

Predeceased by her parents, brother Tom McGuire (Mary), sister Anne Akers (Allen), son-in-law Bill McComb and her first husband Donald. She is

survived by her sister Kathleen Smith, daughter Diana McComb, sons Stephen and Randolph Brown (Deborah) and granddaughters Laura

Brown, Angeline McComb (Frank Hodge and great-granddaughters Nyia and Zayde), niece Karen VanEtten and nephews Danny and Buddy Akers.

She was a mother to many in her lifetime.

She grew up during the depression and WWII with a strong extended family in Trumbull’s and they lived a simple life surrounded by nature and farming.

Her father and mother worked most of their lives and founded McGuire Gardens in Ithaca. She met Donald Brown, her future husband, when he

was transplanted from Brooklyn in 1943 due to WWII. They were both ferocious readers and this brought them together.

After graduating from high school, she went to Buffalo State on a scholarship and then to Texas where Donald was stationed with the Air

Force. They were married and somehow, they raised three kids, worked, bought a house and both graduated from TCU. Their children attend each

graduation in the early 60’s. They moved back to Newfield in the mid-sixties and Bessie began her career by teaching at Cortland State and then a lengthy career with

Tompkins County working at Probation and Child Welfare. Her second career was in Michigan as a child therapist. She collected two master’s

degrees over the years, one at TCU and the other at Syracuse in 1985. Bessie retired in 2002 and returned to the Ithaca area. She was an avid

reader and joined up with her sister to write up local cemeteries and became involved with the Trumbull Corners Cemetery committee. She had

many friends and went on lunch dates often. She loved to join friends at local establishments, dance, play pool and go

fishing in Canada. She was happy with the life she was given. Donations in her name to the SPCA would be appreciated.

The family will receive friends from 11:00-11:30am before a prayer service at 11:30am on Saturday, February 10th in Bangs Funeral Home,  209 W. Green Street, Ithaca.