 Sister Patricia Kenny, SNJM
Sister Mary Bartholomew
January 14, 1930–June 9, 2010 (Los Gatos, CA)
Sister Patricia Kenny, a vowed member of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary for 61 years, died June 9 at the Convent of the Holy Names in Los Gatos at the age of 80. She was born in San Francisco, California, on January 14, 1930, to Bartholomew Leo Kenny and Helen Freethy. Patricia was the oldest of three children. Of her parents, Patricia said they sacrificed much through the Depression in order to educate and guide their children. Much of her education was with the Holy Names Sisters at Our Lady of Lourdes, Holy Names High School and Holy Names University, all in Oakland.
She earned her master’s degree in Latin at the University of Michigan.Formerly known as Sister Mary Bartholomew, sshe pent 36 years as an educator in elementary and secondary schools in both northern and southern California.
In the Oakland Diocese she returned to Holy Names High School in Oakland as a teacher in 1956, and taught there again from 1964-72 and 1981-84. She served as dean of students at the school from 1969-72.
She also worked at St. Cecilia School in San Francisco for five years and at Marin Catholic High School. In later years Sister Kenny worked for NETWORK, a social justice lobby group in Washington, D.C. — a brief assignment that reflected her commitment to issues of justice.
She also worked as an administrative assistant in community offices as well as at Sacred Heart Parish in San Francisco, St. John of God Parish, San Francisco, and Presentation Convent in San Francisco. She was a volunteer tutor at the Next Step Learning Center in Oakland in 2001. She moved to Los Gatos in 2007.
Survivors included her brothers, Father Ray Kenny and Bertram Kenny; niece, Patricia Fabian; grand nieces and nephews, and cousins.
The funeral Mass was held June 13 at the Convent of the Holy Names in Los Gatos; burial was at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward. Donations in her memory may be made to the Ministry Fund, Sisters of the Holy Names, P.O. Box 907, Los Gatos, CA 95031.
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