Sister Joan Litch

Sister Joan Litch, SHF, died at home in Fremont early in the morning of August 8, 2026, at the age of 89. Born Joan Lillian Litch in San Francisco on December 9, 1936, to Margaret and John Litch, she entered the Sisters of the Holy Family from St. James Parish in San Francisco on January 6, 1955, at the age of 18 and was given the name Sister Joan.

Sister Joan’s early ministry with the Sisters was in religious education, and she served in parishes in the dioceses of Oakland, San Francisco, Fresno and San Jose. She then turned to social service ministry, and worked in Child Protective Services from 1980 until her retirement to the Motherhouse in Fremont in 2018.

While Sister Joan enjoyed cooking and needlecraft, her passion was for dogs, though she did draw the line at little yappie dogs. Her passion for all creatures canine was exceeded only by her passion for the vulnerable children for whom she advocated in the Fresno area, first professionally and later as a volunteer.

Sister Joan’s funeral was held at the Holy Family Sisters’ oratory in Fremont on Monday, August 17. Her burial took place on August 18 at Olivet Gardens in Colma. She was buried in that location at her request, in a family plot next to her brother Jack, who died in 1951 at the age of 17 while serving in the U.S. Army in Korea.