SndnSister Aileen Marie Bermingham SNDdeN
May 6, 1931 - November 12, 2024

We remember with gratitude the life of Sister Aileen Marie Bermingham who was a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 75 years. She died at the Notre Dame Province Center Residence in Belmont, California, where she lived for the past thirteen years.

Sister Aileen entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1949 after graduating from Notre Dame High School, San Francisco, CA. She taught in elementary and high schools in Chico, Los Angeles, Watsonville, San Jose, San Francisco, and Seattle, and served as Principal of Mora High School in Watsonville and Notre Dame High School in San Jose.

In addition to her years in formal education, Aileen shared her many and varied talents as Provincial Leader of the California Province, Pastoral Coordinator at Notre Dame Villa in Saratoga, and Director of Catholic Social Services' John XXIII Center in San Jose.

St. Julie Billiart, foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, was known for her simplicity, charity, and joy, qualities that Aileen expressed throughout her life. Being appreciative, attentive, and kind, Aileen naturally reached out to others, making friends and supporting them in whatever ways were needed. Over the years her family members played an important role in her life. She stayed in touch with them and with many others through her smart phone which she kept with her at all times.

When in 2011 Sister Aileen became a member of the Belmont Notre Dame Province Center Residence, she continued her ministry to others. She noted that community living was one of the greatest blessings of her years as a Sister. Last year, at the time of her 75th Jubilee, she expressed gratitude for the "absolutely wonderful, dedicated, sisterly women with whom I have lived for the past 75 years. All of them were part of a learning experience I treasure."

Daughter of Walter and Aileen Bermingham and sister of Carol Bermingham, Thomas Bermingham, and Beverly Powelson (all deceased), she is lovingly remembered by her sisters Judith Bermingham and Patricia Gutierrez, many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, friends, former students, and Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated for Sister Aileen Marie at 11:00 am, on Saturday, December 7, 2024 in the Chapel of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Province Center, 1520 Ralston Avenue, in Belmont, California. The burial will be held at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, December 10, at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma, California.

Contributions in Sister Aileen's memory may be made to Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, 1520 Ralston Avenue, Belmont, CA 94002 or online at snddeneastwest.org. Further information about Sister Aileen's life can be found at https://snddeneastwest.org/sisters/aileen-bermingham/