Sister Marie Barbara, SNDdeN, 100 years old, and a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 76 years, died peacefully at Mercy Retirement and Care Center in Oakland on June 25, 2015.
Born in Coalinga, Calif., the youngest of six children, Kathleen Buckley was a very independent, self-described “tomboy” who intended to be a cowboy or a pilot when she grew up.
Sr. Marie Barbara attributed her call to religious life to her loving parents.
Soon after graduating from Notre Dame High School in San Francisco, she entered the Notre Dame Community. In addition to earning degrees in History and English from San Francisco State, and Catholic University of America, she served as editor of the San Francisco State newspaper and was a member of a college journalism group.
She later took advanced courses in mathematics and sociology.
Sister Marie Barbara enjoyed teaching all boys at Mission Dolores and all girls at her Alma Mater during her nearly 40 years at the elementary, junior-high and secondary levels.
She also taught at Notre Dame schools in Marysville, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Watsonville, Calif., as well as at Blanchet High School in Seattle and at St. Lawrence School in Santa Clara, Calif.
Sister Marie Barbara loved teaching, and was always generous in working with students who needed extra help.
In retirement, Sister Marie Barbara assisted in development work for religious communities and for Immaculate Conception Academy in San Francisco. She also enjoyed enrichment courses in theology and art.
Sister Marie Barbara’s niece, Terri Brady, said that her aunt “… loved her family and loved the Sisters, but most of all, she loved God.”
When anyone visited Sister Marie Barbara at Mercy Center, her mantra was always “God is good.”
She would also suggest to Terri that they go out for pizza!
Predeceased by her parents, Michael J. and Barbara Buckley, Sister Marie Barbara will be lovingly remembered and dearly missed by her Notre Dame community and her nieces, Terri Brady, Mary (Dan) Alves and Kathleen DaVilla; her nephews, Father Thomas Buckley SJ, Father Michael Buckley SJ, Phil Brady, Tom (Galynn) Brady, Brother Chris Brady FSC; many devoted grand-nieces and nephews, and Father Anthony McGuire, her 8th grade student at Mission Dolores.
Memorial contributions may be made in Sister’s honor to Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, 1520 Ralston Avenue, Belmont, CA 94002 or online.