Maria M. "Omi" Eitz

1941 - 2024

Maria Eitz
02/24/1941 - 07/16/2024
Our North Star, Maria M. Eitz, affectionately known as "Omi," passed away peacefully at 83 on July 16, 2024, at her home in San Francisco, California, surrounded by family.
Born on February 24, 1941, in Northern Germany, Maria was orphaned as a child in the middle of a war. This impactful experience led her to dedicate her life to helping children in war and to become a champion of teachers, attending Teachers College in Flensburg, Germany.
Maria immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1960s and attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, earning a master's degree in theology and later a Ph.D. in child psychology.
Her notable accomplishments include reuniting children with their parents during the Cold War in Germany for the Allied powers, volunteering and organizing for Friends For All Children in Vietnam, organizing the Orphan Airlift at the Presidio in San Francisco, starting and continuing the first children's Therapeutic Respite Care Center in the nation for Talk Line, part of the San Francisco Child Abuse Center for 35 years, organizing a medical volunteer organization in Sudan and Somalia to assist victims of famine, being ordained as a Roman Catholic Woman Priest leading a congregation at Sophia in Trinity in San Francisco, and authoring four books: Ten Days in Berlin, Desert Tales, Buffalo Carry Me Home, and Stone River Rain: Currents in a Single Flow.
Her proudest accomplishment, however, was being her family's North Star. She brought together five individuals and patiently nurtured them into a beautiful family, showering them with love and support, imparting lessons of acceptance and peace, and consistently finding humor and light in the most challenging situations. Her love will live on through her husband, four children, eleven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, who survive her.
Maria will always be remembered for her kind, quiet, and thoughtful words, as well as her graceful, brave, and adventurous spirit. She loved San Francisco, was a staple of the Inner Sunset Community, and loved walking her dogs through Golden Gate Park, always saying hello to passing trees, animals, and people. She was an unwavering advocate for children, women, and social justice, and above all, she was a loving and constant presence in our lives.
Memorial services will be held privately with family; however, a Celebration of Life is being planned for the Fall of 2024 and will be announced at a later date. Please check the Memorial Service site at https://www.mariaeitzmemorialsite.com for details.
In place of flowers, please consider donating to KQED Public Radio, Planned Parenthood, or Doctors Without Borders, USA in Maria Eitz's name.