- Date Of Birth: September 21, 1928
- Date Of Death: October 16, 2021
- State: Arizona
Loretta Mae Rothschiller Pendergast, 93, of Scottsdale, passed away peacefully in her Mesa care home on October 16, 2021. She was born on September 21, 1928 in Bismarck, North Dakota to her parents Francis and Elizabeth Rothschiller and was the sixth of eleven children. She attended St. Mary’s Catholic Elementary School in Bismarck, North Dakota and later attended and graduated from Mandan High School in 1946. She was a model student and active in many community, church and high school activities including being named as runner-up for Homecoming Court her Senior Year. After High School, Loretta pursued an education and career in health care as a registered nurse. She graduated from St. Alexius Hospital School of Nursing which propelled her into a devoted lifelong career of nursing. She provided well over 40 years of dedicated and selfless care and service to her patients. First, throughout her 30-year professional career until her retirement and then as a volunteer home health care nurse to elderly and homebound patients which also included service as a clergy volunteer for Scottsdale Memorial.
She married James Robert Pendergast, Sr. on February 21, 1951. They were blessed with 50 years of marriage and with three, children, Ann Marie, James Robert Pendergast, Jr., and Mary Claire. Loretta was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother and nurse and spent her entire life caring for the needs of others. As a younger woman she loved to entertain and to socialize with friends and professional colleagues. In her later years, she took immense pride in the service that she provided to in home patients but what gave her the most joy of all was her relationship with her Lord, Jesus Christ, and that of being a grandmother.
Loretta was preceded in death by her husband, James Robert Pendergast, Sr., her daughter Ann Marie Pendergast, her grandsons, Brandon Yeaton and Michael Pendergast, her daughters-in-law, Kim Coulter Pendergast and Brenda Salter Pendergast. She was also preceded in death by her siblings Francis Rothschiller, Beatrice Moulton, Geraldine Ayers, Betty Schmidt, Richard Rothschiller, Thomas Rothschiller and Mary Frala.
She is survived by her children, James Robert Pendergast Jr, and Mary Claire (Jayson) Walker and by her grandchildren, Jennifer (Keith) Best, Amanda (Dan) Ryan, Sara Meyer, Daniel (Belinda) Pendergast, Donelle (Chet) Flick, Ian Pendergast, Ruby (John) Redwonski, Alexis Walker, Brittany Yeaton, Jayson C. Walker Jr., Jacob Walker and Maximus Walker. Also surviving Loretta are her 13 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild, Autumn, Amber, Aaron, Madison, Ashton, Taylor, Lindsey, Hailie, Austin, Kimberly, Abbie, Conner Cayson and Canyon. Loretta’s siblings surviving her are Angie Zent, James (Arlyne) Rothschiller and Rita White.
