January 17, 1924 – January 16, 2018
We remember with gratitude the life of Sister Mary (Marie Thomasine) Lonich, who was a Sister of Notre Dame for 71 years. She died peacefully at Mercy Retirement and Care Center the day before her 94th birthday.
The eldest of three children in a Croatian-speaking home, she learned English at school, then tutored her younger brother and sister. A special joy for Sister Mary was traveling to Croatia in 1982.
Mary graduated from Notre Dame Elementary and Notre Dame High School in San Francisco and San Francisco State before becoming a Sister of Notre Dame. She later received a Master’s degree in Education from the University of San Francisco. She remained active in the NDSF Alumnae Association, and, for many years, enjoyed giving tours of her favorite city.
Sister Mary was a creative teacher, principal and viceprincipal in Notre Dame schools in California and Oregon. Two of her favorite assignments were her 10 years at Saint Joseph Elementary in Alameda and 12 years at Sacred Heart Elementary in Saratoga.
Sister Mary had a great appreciation for beauty, and shared her artistic, culinary and gardening talents in every community where she lived and every school where she served. She had a gift for choosing colors, arranging flowers or a room, cooking and serving food. She shared her gifts with the community at the Notre Dame Province Center in Belmont the past fourteen years, before moving to Mercy Retirement and Care Center.
Sister Mary was well-loved, and will be deeply missed by her sister-in-law, Connie Lonich, her beloved niece and nephews Mary J. Lonich, Michael (Lisa) Lonich, Keith (Deborah) Bauer; grand-nieces and nephews Andy, Ryan and Michael Lonich, Jennifer and Cameron Bauer, and by many long-time friends, former students and her Sisters of Notre Dame.