Sister Helen Clare Howatt, SNJM
Barbara Helen Howatt
April 5, 1927 – January 10, 2018
Sister Helen Clare Howatt, SNJM departed this life January 10, 2018, at San Leandro Hospital, San Leandro, California. Sister Helen celebrated 90 years of life and 70 years of her religious profession.
Sister Helen Clare Howatt, SNJM
Barbara Helen Howatt
April 5, 1927 – January 10, 2018
Sister Helen Clare Howatt, SNJM (Barbara Helen Howatt) entered into eternal life on January 11, 2018. She was 90 years old and a professed Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary for 70 years.
She touched the lives of children and teachers as an educator for 30 years, serving at Saint Augustine (Berkeley), Saint Andrew (Pasadena), Saint Anne (Santa Monica), Saint Mary (Oakland), Saint Anastasia (Los Angeles), Saint Monica (San Francisco) and Saint Cecilia (San Francisco). Additionally, she was principal at Saint Monica (Santa Monica) and Saint Mary (Los Angeles). She served as the Library Director at Holy Names University for 17 years, where she enhanced the students’ educational experience by making significant additions to the library’s collections. Later, she shared her gifts with senior citizens at the Collins Center at St. Cecilia’s, before serving at St. Monica’s Elementary School in San Francisco and Holy Names High School in Oakland.
Sister Helen Clare is remembered for her characteristic reserve, her love and commitment to the care and preservation of historical documents and photos, her interest in her family’s genealogy and the coffee plant she lovingly tended with its history tied deeply to her family. In her final years, as a resident of Mercy Center in Oakland, Sister Helen Clare was known for her beautiful smile and her delight in welcoming visitors to her room.
She is survived by cousins Nancy Wright and WillIam (Charlotte) Howatt and colleague and friend, Florence Fong. She is remembered by the Sisters and Associates of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.
The Mass of Resurrection for Sister Helen Clare will be on Sunday, January 21, 2018 at 2:30 pm at Holy Spirit Chapel, 65 W. Rincon Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008. Her burial will be at 10:15 am on Monday, January 22, 2018 at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hayward, California.