Marana Mayor Ed Honea provided a Mayor's Message for the latest issue of the Marana News/Explorer News
Last week, we said goodbye to Councilmember Carol McGorray. Marana said goodbye to a great champion who loved this community. Many of us said goodbye to a dear friend.
While it is easy to be sad at her passing, it is also easy to smile and remember all of the great things she did. I was friends with Carol long before we began working on the Marana Town Council, and through our civic duties we accomplished great things together.
First and foremost, Carol loved her family. She was a mother of seven children, 13 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren with two more on the way. In her various roles in the community, she often looked at issues from the perspective of how they would impact families.
She had a tremendous impact on the community through her various boards and positions, and was a kind, hard-working person who put the community first. She served on the board of the Marana Health Center, and was a member of the Marana Food Bank’s Advisory Board since its inception. For her work with the food bank, she was recently awarded emeritus status. In addition, she was very involved with the Dove Mountain Civic Group, the Marana School District and the Dove Mountain Rotary Club.
One constant theme in her work was her desire to protect those who needed it most and try to be an advocate for those who were struggling. She was compassionate. She cared.
I have been asked a number of times recently about who Carol McGorray was, and I usually say she was a “great lady.” But that does not cover it. She believed in rolling up her sleeves and working to help her neighbors, and she saw everybody in Marana as her neighbor. She believed in treating everyone with respect.
She served on the Council for 17 years and was proud of what we accomplished, but at the end she felt there were still things to get done to make the community stronger. She was preparing to run for re-election.
We may have said goodbye to Carol McGoray last week, but her impact will not soon be forgotten. She wore many hats, served many causes and worked hard to have them all mean something important. We need more spirited individuals like Carol McGorray on the Town Council and our boards and commissions, so that Marana will continue to be the most favored place.
