Funeral Mass was celebrated Oct. 5 at St. Gregory Nazianzen Church, Los Angeles, for Mary Jean Pew, 82, who died Sept. 28 after a long battle with lung cancer and other illnesses. A former Immaculate Heart Sister who left the order after 19 years in 1968, Pew was a history and government professor who became the last president of Immaculate Heart College in Hollywood before the school closed in 1980. She served as Gov. Jerry Brown’s assistant campaign manager in his first run for governor and was Brown’s first appointee to the California State University Board of Trustees. Pew was also a former foreperson of the L.A. County Grand Jury.“She will be remembered as an extraordinary woman who had passion, insight and wisdom,” said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who attended one of Pew’s undergraduate constitutional law classes. Both Ridley-Thomas and Brown gave eulogies at Pew’s funeral. “Everything she put her mind to, she made better,” said the governor. In addition to her husband of nearly 40 years, City News Service president Douglas Faigin, Pew is survived by sisters Sheila Albert of Santa Rosa and Jean Tyacke of Johannesburg, South Africa, and many nephews, nieces and their children.Sr. Georgia Taylor, BVMFuneral Mass was held recently in Dubuque, Iowa, for Sister of Charity Georgia Taylor (Valentina), 80, who died Oct 3. She had been a member of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary for 62 years.A native of Highland Park, Illinois, Sister Taylor entered the Sisters of Charity, BVM congregation on Sept. 8, 1950, from Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Santa Barbara. She taught elementary school in Arizona and California and also ministered as a director of religious education in Mexicali, Mexico, and San Diego. Locally, she taught at St. Robert Bellarmine, Burbank (1958-62); St. Philip, Pasadena (1962-64); and Assumption, Los Angeles (1964-65). She also served as director of religious education at Epiphany Church, South El Monte.Memorials may be sent to the Sisters of Charity, BVM Support Fund, 1100 Carmel Drive, Dubuque, IA 52003 or online at www.bvmcong.org/whatsnew-_obits.cfm.Fr. William O’Connell, SMFuneral Mass was celebrated Oct. 11 in Cupertino for Marianist Father William O’Connell, 85, who died Oct. 1. He had been a vowed member of the Society of Mary (Marianists) for 66 years.Born in Oakland, he attended St. Joseph High School in Alameda, where he became acquainted with the Marianist Brothers and priests. He entered the Marianist novitiate at Beacon, N.Y. in 1946. In 1951, he professed perpetual vows as a Marianist in Santa Cruz.After his ordination to the priesthood in 1956 following theological studies at the Marianist International Seminary in Fribourg, Switzerland, Father O’Connell returned to California. He completed a master’s degree from the University of Portland, Oregon, in 1963 while serving as a high school teacher and chaplain at Riordan, San Francisco; Serra, Gardena; and Chaminade, West Hills.He became high school principal at Riordan, San Francisco; and St. Louis, Honolulu. In later years, he directed the Newman Center at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Retirement brought him to Villa St. Joseph and the Marianist Center in Cupertino in 2006.Donations to his memorial scholarship fund may be made to: Cupertino Marianist Community, 22683 Alcalde Road, Cupertino, CA 95014-3903.
