Bernice M. "Bea" O'Halloran

PORTAGE – Bernice M. “Bea” O’Halloran, age 98, of Portage, passed away on Friday, December 22, 2017 at Our House in Portage.

Bea was born on September 23, 1919, in St. Louis, MO, the daughter of Ernest and Marie (Schmitt) Taylor. She married Robert O’Halloran on May 6, 1942, in Florida. Bea had a life-long love of learning and enjoyed reading mysteries. She developed and managed the resource center library at Portage Sr. High from 1970-1986, then volunteered for 20 years in a third grade classroom at Woodridge Elementary School. At age 80, she bought a computer and taught herself how to use it, logging in over 1000 hours of solitaire! Bea's other volunteer activities included knitting mittens and donating them to school, Pink Lady work at Divine Savior hospital and sewing bonnets for newborns, also donated to the hospital. She was active in the Catholic Women's club, substitute taught at St. Mary's school and served as both an assistant den mother to her son's Cub Scout troop and assistant leader to her daughter's Camp Fire girls group. Bea had an adventurous spirit. With dad by her side, she curled, bowled and golfed. She loved her husband, her children and Door County Cherry pie. 

She is survived by her son, Robert O’Halloran of Portage; her daughter, Eileen (Edward) O’Halloran Schneider of Minneapolis, MN; her grandchildren, Aaron Schneider, of Seattle, WA, and Kirsten Schneider, of Boston, MA; her brother, William R. (Rosemary) Taylor, of New Berlin, other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Robert on August 30, 1986, her brothers, Ernest, Joseph, John, James, Martin, and twins, Richard and Robert in infancy.  

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 28, 2017 at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Portage, with Fr. Gary Krahenbuhl presiding. Burial will follow in St. Mary Cemetery in Portage.  Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on Thursday at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Heart Association.

The family would like to thank the staff of Our House and Agrace Hospice Care for their kind care of our mom.                       .

The Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home in Portage is assisting the family.