-
In 1994 Alice Asturias was honored with the St. Mary Cathedral Assumpta Award in recognition of her leadership and significant contribution to the Archdiocese of San Francisco. (Photo courtesy Asturias family)
Catholic San Francisco
Sept. 28, 2020
Alice Boland Asturias, a well-known voice in programs of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the first woman president of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, died Sept. 21, 2020. She was 105 years old.
Born Feb. 18, 1915, in San Francisco, she was an alumna of St. Anne Elementary School, St. Brigid High School and San Francisco State University.
Mary Ann Schwab knew Alice for 50 years. The two met in 1970 when Schwab of St. Brendan Parish was president of the San Francisco County Council of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women and Asturias was named a delegate to the council from St. Anne of the Sunset Parish by Msgr. John Foudy.
Asturias would go on with the support of then-Archbishop Joseph McGucken to help found the archdiocesan Respect Life Commission in 1973 after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal.
“She was mom of 11 children and could not conceive of anyone taking the life of unborn children,” Schwab told Catholic San Francisco. “Family and children were most important to her.”
The two were close friends, Schwab said. “Alice was brilliant," she said. "I admired her tenacity. She could cut through red tape with the best of them. Family and church were her hallmarks.”
Alice also served with St. Anne's Mother's Club and Mercy High School and Archbishop Riordan High School fundraisers. She also supported the archdiocesan Chinese Ministry, Birthright , Golden Gate Heights Neighborhood Association and Asociacion Rescate, a non-sectarian service to people in developing countries.
Among her favorite works was helping farm families of the La Reforma area of Guatemala. Through her efforts roads were built, a health center and church were built and staffed, and medicine was made available to families at no cost.
In 1994 she was honored with the St. Mary Cathedral Assumpta Award in recognition of her leadership and significant contribution to the archdiocese.
Survivors include children Mary, Esther, Patricia, Christina, Lisa, Louise, Anita, Francis, Teresa and Carla, and their families. Alice was predeceased by her husband Mario, and their daughter Rita.
In compliance with COVID-19 protocols, Alice will be remembered in private rites at Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma.