In 1983, he and his wife, Ann Rawers McEnroe, a 1960 graduate of UD, lost their middle child, 14-year old Paul, in an automobile accident on their North Carolina horse farm. My wife was beside herself. She was very religious, and she became even more religious at that time. McEnroe found support from the members of St. Mary's Parish in Los Gatos, Calif., seven years later when Ann, a key parish volunteer, was killed in a car accident. I drew even closer to my children after that, but I didn't go to anybody, per se.
Life goes on, and that's what happened.
Ann was the one who had told McEnroe, shortly before their wedding, that he was adopted. It was something you didn't tell children in those days. Basically, they saved me. He decided to respect their decision about revealing his adoption and never discussed it with them. Two years ago, after his mother's death, McEnroe sought his adoption records.