MARIA EITZ

Our North Star, Maria M. Eitz, affectionately known as "Omi," passed away peacefully at 83 on July 16, 2024, at her home in San Francisco, California, surrounded by family.

 

Born on February 24, 1941, in Northern Germany, Maria was orphaned as a child in the middle of a war. This impactful experience led her to dedicate her life to helping children in war and become a champion of teachers, attending Teachers College in Flensburg, Germany, and then earning a Ph.D. in Developmental Child Psychology from the University of West Berlin. 

 

Maria immigrated to Sussex, U.K., working as a governess before relocating to the U.S. in the 1960s. She provided care for several families in Toledo, Ohio, before once again pursuing higher education at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she obtained a master’s degree in Spiritual Theology. Maria's passion for teaching philosophy, psychology, and theology brought her to California, where she taught students at Holy Names College in Oakland, as well as at Mercy High School, Archbishop Riordan High School, and St. Rose Academy in San Francisco, where she eventually settled.

 

Her notable accomplishments include reuniting children with their parents during the Cold War in Germany for the Allied powers, volunteering and organizing for Friends For All Children in Vietnam, organizing the Orphan Airlift at the Presidio in San Francisco, starting and continuing the first children’s Therapeutic Respite Care Center in the nation for Talk Line, part of the San Francisco Child Abuse Center for 35 years, organizing a medical volunteer organization in Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia to assist victims of famine, being ordained as a Roman Catholic Woman Priest leading a congregation at Sophia in Trinity in San Francisco, and authoring five books: Dark Rice, Ten Days in Berlin, Desert Tales, Buffalo Carry Me Home, and Stone River Rain: Currents in a Single Flow. 

 

Her proudest accomplishment, however, was being her family’s North Star. She brought together five individuals and patiently nurtured them into a beautiful family, showering them with love and support, imparting lessons of acceptance and peace, and consistently finding humor and light in the most challenging situations. Her love will live on through her husband, four children, eleven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, who survive her.

 

Maria will always be remembered for her kind, quiet, and thoughtful words, as well as her graceful, brave, and adventurous spirit. She loved San Francisco, was a staple of the Inner Sunset Community, and loved walking her dogs through Golden Gate Park, always saying hello to passing trees, animals, and people. She was an unwavering advocate for children, women, and social justice, and above all, she was a loving and constant presence in our lives.

 

Memorial services will be held privately with the Eitz-Hesse family; however, a Celebration of Life is being planned for the Fall of 2024. Please check the Memorial Information section for details.

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In place of flowers, please consider donating to KQED Public Radio, Planned Parenthood, or Doctors Without Borders, USA in Maria Eitz's name.