Theresa Dahl

1935 - 2025

Theresa Dahl
03/20/1935 - 09/02/2025
Theresa Rose (née Mark) Dahl born March 20, 1935 in Carbondale, PA died peacefully on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 in San Francisco, CA. She was a beloved mother, sister, aunt and grandmother who will be remembered for her warm and generous nature, intelligence, sense of humor and unending love and devotion to her family. When Terry was young the family moved from Carbondale to Utica, NY where she excelled in academics, graduating from Proctor High School in 1953. She went on to receive a BS degree from Syracuse University (Magna Cum Laude) in 1956, and then moved to California, obtaining her teaching credential from University of CA, Redlands in 1960.
In 1961 Terry's adventurous spirit landed her in Germany with a job teaching at the army base in Illesheim, where she met a young officer from Idaho, Bob Dahl. They fell in love and settled in San Francisco, where Bob had secured a job as a lending officer with Bank of America.
Bob and Terry were married at St. Francis Xavier Church in San Francisco on January 4, 1964. Two daughters, Jennie and Sandy, shortly followed. In 1968, the young family moved to the UK when Bob was transferred to BofA's London office. The following 6 years allowed Bob and Terry to live out their love of travel, having many treasured holidays throughout Europe with young daughters in tow. After settling back in San Francisco in 1974, Terry secured a position teaching 2nd grade at St. Thomas the Apostle School, while also taking accounting classes at night through Golden Gate University.
After 8 years of teaching, Terry took a job in Finance with Del Monte Corp in SF. When their daughters were in college, Bob and Terry returned to London where Terry was able to continue with Del Monte. The family ultimately returned to SF in 1986, and Terry began working in the Bursar's Office at the University of San Francisco, where she stayed for 17 years until she retired in 2005 as Senior Accountant in the Office of Accounting and Business Services.
Bob and Terry were married for 51 years until Bob passed away after a hard fought 14-year battle with cancer on May 2, 2015.
Terry is also predeceased by her sister Frances Mark (Miller) and parents Rose and Joseph Mark. She is survived by brother Philip Mark (Philomena), sister Rosalie Phillips (Steve), daughters Jennifer Dahl and Sandra Dahl Finnegan (Stephen), granddaughter Catherine Finnegan, and many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews. Terry's family would like to thank the administration and staff at Frank Residence and Sutter Health Home Hospice who took such good care of her during the end stages of her Alzheimer's disease. The love and compassion they showed to her was truly outstanding.
There will be a Rosary Service for Terry on Thursday, October 23rd at 6:30 pm at St. Dominic's Catholic Church in San Francisco. Memorial mass will be held on Friday, October 24th at 1 pm, also at St. Dominic's Church.