Sister Mary Sheila Fay Snd

1933 - 2020

Sister Mary Sheila Fay, SND

Thousand Oaks - Sister Mary Sheila Fay, SND (Sheila Jane Fay), aka Sister Mary LaTier, 87, died Friday, September 18, 2020 in Thousand Oaks.

Sheila Jane Fay, daughter of William and Eva (Abrams) Fay, was born February 24, 1933 in Waterloo Iowa. The family moved to Southern California when Sheila was three years old. She and her two younger brothers were blessed with parents who provided a Catholic education for all three of their children through high school. Sheila earned a scholarship to Immaculate Heart College and by the age of 22 she had earned a BA in Mathematics, knew she wanted to be a teacher, and prayed about a religious vocation. After her graduation from college, Sheila entered the Sisters of Notre Dame, the community that had been her teachers from kindergarten through eighth grade. After her initial formation as a sister, Sister Mary Sheila spent 45 years as a teacher and administrator in high schools which included Notre Dame Academy, Los Angeles; St. Matthias High School, Huntington Park; La Reina High School and Bonaventure High School in Ventura County. She also recalls with much joy the adventures of teaching English to Polish religious sisters in Warsaw, Poland in 1996. The most impressive experience was visiting the icon of Our Lady of the Bright Mount (Jasna Gora) in Czestochowa. Her participation in the Sisters of Notre Dame Namur Conference in Belgium in 1977 was another very spiritual awakening for Sister Mary Sheila. Other advocations were a reader for Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, a crossing guard for students crossing the yard from the parking lot, and seated jobs as receptionist at Notre Dame Center. Sister Mary Sheila was also dedicated to praying in her community's adoration chapel.

Sister Mary Sheila is survived by her nieces, Stacy Fay Goodenough of Chino Hills, Robin Fay Gary of Austin, Texas, and Kathleen (Kit) Fay Jordan of San Diego; close friend, Renee Tedesco of Arizona and several great nieces and nephews.

She will be interred at Assumption Cemetery, Simi Valley.

Donations in Sister Mary Sheila's name may be made to Sisters of Notre Dame, 1776 Hendrix Ave., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360.

Arrangements are under the direction of Griffin Family Funeral Chapels, Thousand Oaks (805)230-2800.