Bertha Fitzgerald was born in Sesser, Ill., in 1923. “Grandma” Bertha, as she was affectionately known at Juanita Elementary where she volunteered for more than two decades, slipped into a coma at Evergreen Hospice Care and died peacefully on Dec. 14.

She was a country girl who married a city boy in 1944. Her husband Charles served in the US Air Force as a medic. He was part of the first response team after the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. Years later, he became ill and doctors were unable to diagnose his illness or provide an appropriate treatment.

Bertha cared for her husband for many years prior to his death. An autopsy revealed that all of his internal organs were petrified, and literally rock-hard, from the radiation he was exposed to in Hiroshima.

Bertha also helped raise grandson and granddaughter. Bertha’s grandson was born with Cerebral Palsy and was wheelchair-bound. He was the first disabled child to be main-streamed from special education in the Lake Washington School District. As an adult, Bruce was employed by Costco, and provided the “color” for the radio broadcasts of the Seattle Thunderbirds, as well as the Seattle Sounders. Sadly, Bertha and her family lost Bruce to cancer several years ago.

When her husband passed away, Bertha was at a loss for what to do with her spare time. Someone suggested she stop by the nearest school to see if she could help out. She did so — stopping in at Juanita Elementary — and suddenly 23 years of volunteering went past. For a time, Bertha worked in first grade, but said she liked kindergarten best. Her family often told Bertha “she would never graduate.” She helped in so many ways, from making copies, to wagging her finger at a child needing redirection.

She finally retired in the fall of 2013, at the age of 90. Bertha’s outlook on life was both extraordinary and quite rare. Always the caregiver, she continued to keep going in spite of the pain she faced each day. Bertha had polio as a child and the disease, along with severe arthritis, contributed to a degenerated spine and difficulty using her hands and fingers. She was always in pain, but never complained and always worried instead about others. She said other people had far bigger problems.

“Grandma” Bertha received the “Governor’s Service Award” in 2009. She felt incredibly honored to be invited to lunch at the Governor’s Mansion and Bertha attend a Mariner’s game, representing volunteers from the Retired Senior Volunteer Program or RSVP.

She claimed the school did more for her than she did for the school, and that the kids kept her young. In the spring of 2013, the Juanita Elementary PTSA created a new award in her honor, entitled the “Bertha Fitzgerald Outstanding Service Award,” for her selfless service to the Juanita Elementary community.

A memorial service for Bertha will be held at 11 a.m. on Jan. 14 at Rose Hill Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Evergreen Health Foundation/Cancer Support Services; 12040 NE 128th Street, Kirkland, WA 98034.