Sister Ignatia May

Sister Ignatia May died on Monday, August 20, 2012 at Saint Martin's Residence at the Dominican Sisters' Motherhouse in Fremont. She was 99 years old. Born on August 2, 1913 at Clifton, New Jersey, Sister Ignatia was a Dominican Sister for 77 years. Her principal active ministry was elementary education which brought her to the following schools: Saint Catherine Military Academy, Anaheim; Sacred Heart Elementary School, Los Angeles; Saint Vincent's School, San Rafael; San Gabriel Mission Elementary School, San Gabriel; Santa Teresita School, Los Angeles; Saint Michael Elementary School, Los Angeles; Saint Mary of the Palms, Mission San Jose; Saint Ignatius School, Los Angeles; and Saint Therese School, Portland, Oregon. At a number of these sites, Sister Ignatia also served as community treasurer. Sister also served in the resident department at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Pasadena. Since 2004, with her last assignment to Saint Martin's Resident Community, Sister Ignatia's principal ministry was the apostolate of prayer. Sister is survived by her nieces, Debbie and Joyce and their families, many friends, and the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. at the Dominican Sisters' chapel, 43326 Mission Boulevard, Fremont. Burial in the Dominican Sisters' Cemetery will take place on Wednesday, August 22 at 8:30 a.m. Memorials may be made to the Dominican Sisters Retirement Fund or the Mother Pia Backes Education Fund, 43326 Mission Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94539 or the Vision of Hope Fund, 1555 34th Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Berge-Pappas-Smith Mortuary of Fremont.