Funeral Mass for Bridget Neumayr ‘Intensifies Hope’

Friends, family, alumni, faculty, and students came to Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel on Saturday, March 14, for the Mass of Christian Burial for Bridget Neumayr, wife of the late Dr. John W. Neumayr, co-founder and first dean of Thomas Aquinas College. Mrs. Neumayr passed away on February 11 at the age of 88.

Rev. Sebastian Walshe, O.Praem, (’94), a professor of philosophy at St. Michael’s Abbey and close friend of the Neumayrs, offered the morning Mass, a hope-filled reflection of Mrs. Neumayr’s life and her love of God. In his homily, he stressed the importance that we, as Christians, continue to hope in Christ’s promise of eternal life. “This is a moment with which we intensify our hope as Christians, where we long for that true life of Christ, where we are happy for Bridget, and sad for ourselves because we are not yet there,” Fr. Sebastian reflected. He concluded his homily by encouraging all in attendance to console one another, to pray for Mrs. Neumayr’s soul and thank God for the gift of her life and legacy.

Following the Mass was the interment at Santa Paula Cemetery, where two of the Neumayrs’ daughters, Anne (’05) and Jane (Nemcova ’98), delivered eulogies. “At the heart of our parents’ lives was Thomas Aquinas College,” Anne observed. “The College shaped them, and perhaps many of you were shaped by my parents. The senior brunches they hosted at our home in Thousand Oaks were an institution in the early and middle years of the College. My parents delighted in knowing the students of the College and their families. They appreciated the other faculty members and members of the Board.”

At the subsequent luncheon back on campus, Fr. Sebastian, Thomas Susanka (’76), and the Neumayr’s eldest daughter, Mary Bridget (’86), each gave a short tribute. Mary Bridget recalled, with a smile, a note her mother had given to her as she began her college career. One particular line stood out from the rest: “The most important thing is to pray always.” A slideshow of Mrs. Neumayr’s life played for the remainder of the reception, while loved ones mingled over lunch and shared memories of their beloved mother, grandmother, and friend.

All remembered Mrs. Neumayr as a woman characterized by intellectual elegance, linguistic grace, and profound faith. A lover of literature, she infused her passion for writing and learning into her seven children, each of whom “took up a different thread of her vibrant tapestry,” as her obituary recalled, and uniquely reflected her graces in their individual lives. Please continue to pray for the repose of her soul, and for the consolation of her family and friends.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and may perpetual life shine upon her. May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

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