Maryellen Easterling Pitard

MaryEllen Easterling Pitard was welcomed into heaven on December 25, 2023. She was a beloved daughter, sister, mother, mentor, and friend, and will be missed by so many who she touched with her faith, strength, and love. MaryEllen lived her life filled with faith and led with a servant’s heart.

MaryEllen was born on April 17, 1947, in San Diego, California, to James Cawthon and Adelia Rose (Jungers) Easterling and was raised with the strong religious beliefs lovingly modeled by her mother. She was the youngest of three children, and was the much-loved sister of James, and of David, who preceded her to Heaven.

Her Catholicism guided her educational choices. She graduated as part of the Class of 1965 from Cathedral Girls High School and graduated from the University of San Diego with her bachelor’s degree in English and integrated studies in 1969. After graduation, MaryEllen taught at the University of San Diego High School. After marrying in 1970, she settled in Lemon Grove and raised three children – Susan, Katie, and Daniel – with her former husband, Peter. Her children were an adventure, an achievement, and her legacy.

MaryEllen chose to hone her servant leadership through attending San Diego State University to receive her master’s degree in counseling, with an emphasis in marriage, family, & child counseling. Receiving this degree helped MaryEllen succeed in a career in lay ministry – ministering to others through her love of God. She began this work as a Youth Minister at St. John of the Cross parish in Lemon Grove.

In 1986, MaryEllen became a Campus Minister at the University of San Diego where she served for the next ten years. Her job at USD allowed MaryEllen to combine ministry and social justice. One of her most dearly held projects at USD was coordinating opportunities for college students to build houses in Tijuana through Esperanza International.

In 1996 the Pitard family moved from San Diego to Williamsburg, Virginia, and in 1997 MaryEllen joined the College of William & Mary as the director of Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM). This fulfilling opportunity gave her the ability to continue to share her love of God with students. She mentored incoming lay and religious campus ministers, counseled students, and so much more in the CCM community. She made a difference in the lives of innumerable young adults over her more than 15 years of service at William & Mary. Once retired, she then became the Pastoral Associate for the Hope Pregnancy Center through St. Bede Catholic Church.

MaryEllen was loved by so many and is survived by her children, Susan, Katie, and Daniel; her grandchildren Adelia, Catherine, Callie, Daphne, and Fletcher, as well as her brother James (Peggy) and her sister-in-law Candy. She is also survived by many nephews, nieces, great-nephews and nieces, cousins, and many other friends she considered family, and welcomed into her life with open arms.

Services will be held at St. Olaf Catholic Church in Norge on January 12, 2024, at 12pm. Visitation will begin at 11am. Services and burial will be in the first week of April in San Diego, California. Time and place will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the MaryEllen Pitard Lay Ministry Scholarship, established to provide educational funding to young people pursuing careers in lay ministry in the Catholic Church. Information is available at https://tribecatholic.org/mepscholarship .