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BORN
1918
DIED
2022
Mary Mardel Obituary
March 2, 1918 - October 4, 2022
Religious of the Sacred Heart, Mary "Be" Mardel died October 4, 2022, in Atherton, California. She was 104 years old. Mary, or "Be" as she was affectionately known, was born on March 2, 1918, in Seattle, Washington, to Charles Mary Mardel and Ethel Alton Mardel. Sister Mardel attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Menlo Park, California, and the San Francisco College for Women. She entered the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1937 and pronounced her first vows in 1940. Sister Mardel made her final profession in 1945. Sister Mardel taught and served in administrative roles in Sacred Heart communities and schools in California and Louisiana for over fifty years. She founded the St. Madeleine Sophie's Center in El Cajon in 1966. She was a member of the Provincial Team of the San Francisco Province, and named Provincial in 1972. She later served as the Director of Schools in San Francisco and was the director of the Children of Mary. Sister Mardel served on a number of boards in Sacred Heart schools in California, and also the St. Madeleine Sophie Center and the Oakwood Retirement Center. She also volunteered with the AIDs ministry support group at Holy Redeemer Parish in San Francisco. In addition to teaching and administration, Sister Mardel was a dedicated activist. On August 3, 1973, she joined 85 religious (30-40) sisters on the picket line with the United Farm Workers in defiance of court injunctions limiting picketing and protesting the treatment of migrant farm workers in California. Sister Mardel spent the last years of her life at Oakwood, the retirement center for the Religious of the Sacred Heart. She was known for her quick wit and her love for others.
On October 4, 2022, the Feast of St. Francis, Sister Mary "Be" Mardel went very peacefully to God.
A private funeral mass was held at Oakwood on Thursday, October 13, 2022. A Memorial Mass will take place on Saturday, November 5, 2022 at 3:00 pm at Schools of the Sacred Heart, 2222 Broadway, San Francisco, California followed by a reception.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Mary Mardel
2 Entries
Amy Benedicty
October 26, 2022
Sister Mardel was an inspirational educator for our family, including our two daughters, Alessandra and Giuliana, who attended Convent in the 1980s. Our deep condolences to her family. She left her light on this Earth.
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