Former director of National Council of Catholic Women dies at 94

Published: 2006-01-24

OAKLAND, Calif. (CNS) -- A funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 12 at St. Jarlath's Church in Oakland for Margaret Mealey, who represented Catholic women at the Second Vatican Council and on national commissions under five U.S. presidents. Mealey, executive director of the National Council of Catholic Women in Washington from 1949 to 1977, died Jan. 5 at Mercy Retirement and Care Center in Oakland. She was 94. Born in San Francisco, Mealey moved with her family to Oakland when she was 7. She graduated cum laude from the College of the Holy Names (now Holy Names University) in Oakland and later attended the University of California at Berkeley. Beginning in 1942, she held various jobs with the USO-National Catholic Community Services, eventually becoming national director of services to women and girls. She moved to Washington when she was named executive director of the NCCW in 1949, serving in the post until retiring in 1977. During her tenure the organization grew to twice its pre-World War II size, uniting some 11,000 local, parish, state and national Catholic organizations of women at the time of her retirement.

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