Mary Beth Sipos-O'Doherty

Mary Beth Sipos - O'Doherty died in Encinitas, California on July 18, 2017 from complications of pneumonia. She was 57 years old.

Married on July 8, 2000 in Greenport, New York, Mary Beth is survived by her husband Ward O'Doherty of Oceanside, California; parents Andrew and Marianne Sipos of Umatilla, Florida; sister Julie Ann Sipos of Madison, Wisconsin; brother Michael Sipos and sister-in-law Maiumy Halbert; nephew Andrew; and nieces Isabella and Jennifer, of Pohnpei Micronesia. She also leaves behind 16 nieces and nephews by marriage.

Mary Beth was born in Geneva, New York in 1960. She attended Hale Junior High in Woodland Hills, California, and served as valedictorian at El Camino Real High School in the graduating class of 1978.

Tri-lingual in English, Spanish and French, she graduated Smith College in 1982 with an AB in French Language and Literature. She spent a year in Paris studying at the Sorbonne and, as a passionate home chef and patisserie, complete coursework at the Cordon Bleu.

A third-generation lawyer, Mary Beth earned her Juris Doctorate at Boston University and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1986.

She became a partner at Music, Peeler and Garret in Los Angeles and developed a specialty in insurance litigation before transitioning to in-house counsel for Liberty Mutual in 2000. She returned to private practice in 2012 as a partner at the Southern California firm Haight Brown and Bonesteel.

With an overall expertise in insurance coverage litigation, she further developed a specific expertise in litigating multi-million - dollar construction defects. Earlier this year she began serving as associate general counsel with The Riverstone Group.

A passionate, active and generous supporter of numerous charitable causes over her lifetime, while being treated recently at Scripps Hospital Encinitas, Mary Beth was delighted by her afternoon visits with therapy dogs. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Scripps Hospital Pet Therapy Program.

A funeral Mass is scheduled for Friday, July 28, 2017 at 1:30 pm. St Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church, 609 Pier View Way, Oceanside, California.