was born during the “Baby Boom” of World War II. Also, known to her family as “Kay” and to her coworkers as “Mary or Mary Kay.” She died peacefully on October 27, 2020 after a three-year battle with lung cancer.
Mary Kay was a parishioner of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. She was active in her faith, and attended daily mass at St. Patrick’s Church.
Our Lady of Angels Church was Kay’s family’s parish and she sang with the Wings of the Spirit choir for decades. She continued to participate in The Prayer Warriors, and bible study. She attended grammar school at Holy Family and Regina Coeli High School where she took Latin. She also attended San Diego High School. Like any teenager of the day she loved singing to the original Supremes and other 60’s music on the radio.
Kay is survived by her three younger sisters, Carolyn Hancock, Dorothy Bollacker, and Bernadette Donnelly; and by her sister-in-law Karen Padilla. Kay was the godmother of three children, and aunt to several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents Ray and Antoinette Padilla, her two brothers, Robert and Richard Padilla, and her nephew Eddie Farrell Jr.
Mary received her AA. degree in Secretarial/Business Skills and later another A.A degree in Foreign Languages. She had become familiar with legal and medical terminology through her work with lawyers and doctors. She also did some Spanish translation.
During her secretarial career Mary Kay worked in various gov.offices and departments, including the County of San Diego and the VA. She challenged herself and continually adapted as shorthand and manual typewriters were gradually phased out and replaced by dictaphones, and electric typewriters. Ultimately, she used various computer programs’ hardware and software. Mary received numerous recognitions for her dedication, attention to detail, and especially her accuracy and outstanding speed in typing/keyboarding of complex documents.
Driving was her favorite activity. So, she visited local places and ventured up the coast. Occasionally she drove to New Mexico, the birthplace of her parents. She was very independent even after she had cancer; she took the drive to New Mexico solo! Mary Kay went on a few group pilgrimages with fellow parishioners and went on numerous local retreats.
She appreciated the arts by visiting various museums. although, watching a good T.V. show, or “G-Movies were some of her pastimes too. She enjoyed going to the zoo, the park, or just splashing around in the pool with her sisters and their young children. Kay was generous with the use of her car; she had helped each of her sisters obtain their driver’s license while being supportive as we learned.
May she “Rest in Christ’s Peace.”
All services are private. Final resting place Holy Cross Cemetery
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