Meet My Family
I was raised in a family passionate about service. My father spent 30 years in elected office in California. I have memories from about age 5, standing with my dad at local grocery stores, greeting people entering or exiting, trying to engage them in conversations about needed services in their neighborhoods, always ending with a request that they “Vote for McCarthy”. My dad firmly believed that the purpose of government is to improve the lives of others. He would often counsel my siblings and me to use our education and talents to make ourselves useful to others by contributing positive changes in society.
My husband and I met at Santa Clara University Law School. After we married, Peter practiced law in SF and I began work on a statewide voter registration project focused on developing leadership and increasing voter participation in underrepresented California neighborhoods. I learned valuable lessons in organizing and engaging community to use collective action to effect change. More organizing projects followed. Along the way, Peter and I started our own law practice on Pacific Avenue in San Francisco. Our focus turned to family as we joyfully settled in Piedmont and built a life where our children would thrive physically, emotionally and academically. And now, I am enormously proud that each of my three children has found a way to “use their education and talents to make themselves useful to others.”
Our oldest son, Kieran, Eagle Scout, PHS ’08, graduated Gonzaga University. He joined the Navy, served as a Rescue Swimmer on the USS John McCain in Yokosuka, Japan and later trained as a field Corpsman at Camp Lejeune, NC. Kieran received a Master of Science in Leadership, Boston University. After 6 years active duty in the US Navy, he is now a reservist with USMC 4th Force Recon in Alameda and works in federal law enforcement.
Next is our son Cormac, PHS ’10, a Cal Berkeley grad and Cal football player (Go Bears!) with a Master of Science in Management from Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. Cormac served two years in Peace Corps Ukraine. He works for Google and is married to Lauren Remer PHS '13 and Stanford ‘17 ‘21. They live in Piedmont.
Our daughter Kathlyn, PHS ’14, a Denison University grad and D-3 volleyball player completed a Master of Arts in Urban Education from Loyola Marymount University. She worked at Garfield Elementary school in Oakland, San Antonio District with Teach for America. Kathlyn works for Northwestern University Hospital. She will complete a Masters in Marketing Communication from Northwestern in May ’25.