Sister Merie Louise Sandstrom, PBVM

Sister Merie Louise Sandstrom, PBVM, (formerly Sister Mary Stephen) entered eternal life on November 12, 2021 at the Presentation Motherhouse in San Francisco. A native of San Francisco, California, Sister Merie, was born on June 23, 1929, the daughter of Louise Reyes and Charles Sandstrom. They both predeceased her, as did her twin brother, Robert Sandstrom, and her sister, Sylvia Abell. Remaining in her family are her brother Kenneth Sandstrom, her sister-in-law, Gretchen, nieces, nephews and their families. She also leaves her loving Presentation Sisters and Associates.

She was a Sister of the Presentation for seventytwo years, earning a BA degree in education and a Lifelong CA Teaching Credential. In 1951 she began the next sixty-one years in the ministry of Catholic education, teaching in San Francisco Schools: St. Anne, St. Teresa, Epiphany, St. Elizabeth, St. Agnes and Cathedral Presentation. She also taught in the following schools: Nativity, Menlo Park; Presentation High School, Berkeley;

St. Patrick, San Jose; St. Benedict, Montebello; St. Charles, Albuquerque; and St. Joseph, Atherton.

Sister Merie loved to travel and found her way, usually with family or friends to the British Isles, Europe and Ireland. She once remarked that a highlight of one of her trips was visiting Sweden and her grandfather’s hometown on the Island of Gotland.

She also loved the outdoors and activities associated with the outdoors such as camping, hiking, sailing with her twin brother, and skiing with friends. She had even been a member of the Bay Area Ridge Trails Council, California State Parks Foundation. Her other enjoyments included listening to music and going to the opera.

In June of 2003, after many years teaching, she retired from the classroom and devoted her life to volunteer ministry and prayer. She said that she took to heart the words of a Swedish country man, Dag Hammarskjold, who wrote in his book Markings, “To everything that has been, thanks! For all that will be, yes!”

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. at the Presentation Motherhouse, 2340 Turk Blvd., San Francisco, on Tuesday, November 30, 2021 followed by interment at Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma. (Masks and vaccinations for Covid are required.)

Memorial Contributions to the Sisters of the Presentation are preferred and may be sent to Sisters of the Presentation, Development Office, 281 Masonic Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118.