LAVALE — The late Dr. Sean McCagh was honored last week when a memorial quilt representing the lives lost during the COVID-19 pandemic was presented to his widow, Terri McCagh.
The quilt has been displayed at shows across the United States over the past two years, including the country’s biggest quilt show in Houston.
The quilt was created in partnership with Choose Civility, the Schoolhouse Quilters Guild and the Western Maryland Watercolor Society.
“Now it’s back home and we would like to present this to Terri, because it is where it belongs,” Lita Havens, a member of the Western Maryland Watercolor Society, said. “I know that the McCagh family, not only Terri, they’re a big help to our community.”
Sean McCagh died in January 2021 from complications attributed to COVID-19. He was a physician at Western Maryland Dermatology and was involved in multiple initiatives across the region.
He created the Hooley Plunge, an annual dunk into the waters of Lake Habeeb at Rocky Gap State Park that has raised more than $2.5 million for Special Olympics of Allegany County since its beginning in 2003.
“He had touched so many hearts in here,” Havens said.
The quilt features 16 squares with one square featuring a portrait of McCagh.
“We blessed this quilt because it had been those that were close to us,” Havens said. “But the most important was that when we were approached by the organization for the Schoolhouse Quilters about who we thought was a national hero, we all chose Dr. Sean McCagh.”
Kathy Turnbull, of Quilts of Valor, an organization dedicated to creating quilts for veterans, spoke about how much meaning and work goes into a quilt.
Turnbull said the quilts are created with three layers — the first layer signifies the work put in by the quilters, the middle is padding for warmth and the supportive backing represents the support of the family and community.
A ceremony is held when presenting a quilt to a veteran, at which time the honoree is wrapped in the quilt and given a hug to represent the hug of a grateful nation, she said.
Following the presentation of the quilt to Terri McCagh, the quilt was wrapped around her.
“When you came into this world, you were probably wrapped up in a quilt,” Havens said. “It’s a tradition we would like to keep in Allegany County.”