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Memorial for Mary Pajalich
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Born on Oct. 5, 1907
Departed on Jul. 21, 2010 and resided in San Francisco, CA.
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| Visitation: |
Monday, Jul. 26, 2010
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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| Service: |
Tuesday, Jul. 27, 2010
10:30 am
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| Cemetery: |
Holy Cross Cemetery
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Please click on the links above for locations, times, maps, and directions.
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Mary Moran Pajalich was born October 7, 1907, in Bernal Heights. She died July 21, 2010, in Golden Gate Heights. She was a San Francisco resident for all but thirteen of her 102-plus years.
Mrs. Pajalich graduated from Commerce High School and took a job in a law office. The job prompted her to work her way through San Francisco Law School taking night courses. She passed the bar examination in February 1932 before receiving her Ll.B. in June of that year.
In 1935 she was the first woman attorney hired by the California Railroad Commission, now known as the California Public Utilities Commission. Except for a period when her daughters were young, she served the commission for the next thirty-seven years. She capped her career with an appointment as Chief Counsel, the first woman (possibly in the nation) to hold that position. She argued cases at all levels of court, including the California Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court, and gained California ratepayers tens of millions of dollars in rebate
Mary Pajalich was appointed by Ronald Reagan to the Municipal Bench in San Francisco, where she served five years, retiring in 1977. Her interest in criminal justice having been aroused, she was a founder of the Crime Lab Fund which brought one of America’s first fingerprint computers to San Francisco. She also served six years on the San Francisco Parole Commission.
Mary Moran married Randolph Pajalich, whom she met in her work at the PUC, in 1938. She was widowed in 1972. She and Randolph had two daughters, Mary Renee (born 1941) and Jeanne Patricia (born 1944). Mrs. Pajalich is survived by her daughters, two grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and many great-nieces and-nephews and cousins.
She was a 75-year member of the San Francisco Bar, and was very active in Queen’s Bench, Business and Professional Women’s Club, and the League of Women Voters. She was a tireless advocate and worker for women’s rights all her life.
Friends may visit Monday July 26, 2010 from 6pm and are invited to attend the Vigil Service Monday at 7pm at Duggan's Serra Mortuary, 500 Westlake Ave, Daly City. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday July 27th at 10:30am at St. Anne of the Sunset Church, 850 Judah St, San Francisco. Burial to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma. In lieu of flowers the family prefers contributions to St. Anthony’s Dining Room and the Salvation Army.
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