Timothy Shaw Pendergast woke early on July 9, 2024, struggling to breathe. His wife, Paula, called 911, but by the time they arrived, he was fading and soon he stopped breathing and the EMTs could not get a pulse. They put him in the ambulance, where they administered CPR for 17 minutes. At that point, the ambulance took him to the hospital where other measures were taken, but they were unable to revive him. The ER doctor thought that he died from a pulmonary embolism, possibly exacerbated by the long drive cross-country that he and Paula had just completed, from New England where Tim was raised back to California, where he and Paula lived. Tim was 63.
Tim was born on January 2, 1961, in Providence, RI to John J. Pendergast III and Joan Shaw Cole Pendergast. Tim grew up in Providence and attended LaSalle Academy where he was an honors student as well as a star athlete in Football, Hockey and Lacrosse.
After LaSalle, Tim attended Harvard College where he continued to excel in his studies while starting as a goalie for the Harvard Varsity lacrosse team, which he co-captained his senior year. Because of his outstanding contributions as a player, Tim was named an Honorable Mention to the NCAA All-American Team in 1983.
After graduating from Harvard, Tim joined the faculty at Canterbury School in CT where he taught and coached Lacrosse. After several years he left Canterbury and attended Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Divinity School to work on his Masters, but decided to move to California in 1989 before his degree was completed.
Tim taught at Flintridge Sacred Heart for 5 years in the 1990s. In 2000, he moved to LaSalle College Preparatory where he has taught and coached for the last 24 years. Tim taught Morality & Justice and World Religions for Juniors and Christian Life and Service for Seniors. He founded the girls golf team and coached both the boys and girls teams. Students and Faculty at LaSalle will celebrate Tim’s life at the school on Friday, August 9 at 11:00 am, located at 3880 East Sierra Madre Blvd, Pasadena, CA.
Tim loved the game of lacrosse, often stating that it is called "The Creator's Game" by the Native American community. After coaching at Harvard and Brown, he worked hard to bring lacrosse to the West Coast. He coached at UC Santa Barbara, Whittier, Occidental and Claremont-McKenna Colleges. He also worked with high school programs at St. Francis and La Canada and a local youth program. He often coached as a volunteer, feeling that he had a duty to share what he knew about this beautiful game because his mentors and coaches had done the same for him.
One of Tim’s passions throughout his life has been fishing, especially with a fly rod. He has caught fish in 49 states (all but Alaska) and once joked with his wife Paula that, “(I)f I repeat the same sentence in the same hour, send me to Alaska with a fishing rod so I can get eaten by a bear while fighting a big salmon on a beautiful river!”
Tim, who was predeceased by his Father John J. Pendergast lll, on June 12, 2014, is survived by his beloved wife, Paula Bush, two daughters, Colleen and Clare, his mother, Pixie (Joan) Pendergast, his brothers Michael, Terry and John, and sisters Joan Pendergast Cox and Mary Pendergast-Suchmann. Tim and Paula, a retired High School teacher and coach, have been together for more than 21 years and lived in Pasadena.
Rev. John Maria Devaney, OP will offer a Funeral Mass for Tim at St. Pius V Church, 55 Elmhurst Ave., Providence, RI, on Saturday, August 3 at 11:00 am. All are welcome.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Tim’s memory may be offered to:
1) The San Miguel Scholarship Program for students whose lives have been impacted by poverty. LaSalle College Preparatory, 3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107, (lasallehs.org)
2) The Rose Bowl Aquatics Center (RBAC) where Tim found immense joy and community. To donate visit: https://rosebowlaquatics.org/pendergast
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