In Memory

Mary E. Sowards

Mary E. Sowards

Mary E Sowards

May 18, 1908 - June 6, 1989



 
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03/11/09 11:29 AM #1    

James Kiefer (1964)

Mary Jo Sowards took a completely immature and silly and irritating dork and created an individual with a love of the system of living things. I ran into her a few times over the years in the Point Loma area and she had a sparkle and love of life each and every time I saw her.

05/12/09 09:51 AM #2    

James Tomlin (1961)

I remember wanting to have Miss Sowards for study hall because she ran a tight ship and you could actually study. I remember her dogs often had the run of the room. Suddenly in the middle of class there would be a dog sniffing you.

She was a fine teacher. I can never thank her enough for assigning a senior, beautiful Sylvia Erickson to help me with Geometry when I was a sophomore.

Miss Sowards legacy is one of outstanding preparation for college. She fostered a genuine love for biology, and was an early ecologist. There are a host of educators who have followed in her footsteps.

05/14/09 11:01 PM #3    

Marilyn Wright (Kieffer) (1962)

 Miss Sowards took about 10 of us camping at Lake Cachuma during spring break of our junior year. We had a blast! She usually wore Pendleton shirts when teaching but would show up at the school plays in high heals and a mink stole. She became a dear friend after I graduated -- she even pierced my ears. Jo had such a love of life and her precious poodles. She retired to Palm Springs and bought one of Liberace's early homes -- it had a grand piano shaped pool. Later, she moved to Point Loma. Jo was a great teacher and friend and is dearly missed.


06/08/09 08:05 PM #4    

Roger Van Pelt (1950)

We would bet what color hair Miss Sowards would have the next week

03/30/10 06:01 PM #5    

Diane Podlech (Turriff) (1959)

When did Miss Sowards pass away? One lesson she taught me was about skin cancer....how a friend of hers died at an early age after spending every day in the summer sun. That stayed with me the rest of my life....I remember her dogs everywhere..

Diane Turriff '59

11/17/13 01:56 PM #6    

William E 'Bill' Meals (1954)

She was a excellent skilled instructor.   I was not much interested in anything in high school but she made biology a subject I could really dive into.  I actually read the books, listened in class and studied.  One of the few A grades I ever earned.  When I went to college I flew thru the "ology" courses since they were refreshers of what I learned from her.


10/28/18 01:12 PM #7    

Ed Callaway (1958)

She took several of us on a great camping/hiking trip to the Havasu falls area in the grand canyon. Beautiful turquoise water, warm evenings, good friends. Still have some slides of the trip. A wonderful teacher!


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