A Life of Service
Father Len Calegari '52 was destined for a life of brotherhood. He lived a life of compassion, trust, support and joy. As the middle child of four brothers and one sister, he was raised by a family who embraced Catholic values. Len and his brothers, Marc '48, Pierre '50, Greg '55 and Michel '60 learned these values as Padres.
Father Len attended Serra in the late '40s and early '50s, when his teachers were priests. Who better to instill in him Saint Junípero Serra's values of faith, wisdom, service, community and leadership?
Father Len passed away in November of 2014. His brother, Greg '55, reminisced, "We all grew up asking ourselves, 'How can I live a life of service?'"
Chasing this dream, Father Len followed in the path of his brothers and mentors when he was ordained in 1963, when he began his 23 years of service.
As a priest, Father Len returned to Serra to teach the values that had such a positive impression on his life and brought all of these values to everything he did—teaching algebra, geometry and trigonometry, as well as coaching basketball and mentoring young Padres. He was also a Renaissance man who grew up playing the cello and becoming a connoisseur of the opera and symphony.
"Father Len was a very pastoral person, very caring," said Auxiliary Bishop William Justice '60. "He had a delightful sense of humor and really cared for his people. He was a great man, a wonderful person and always had a joyful heart."
Father Len's pursuit of service will live on forever as a member of the Father Serra Heritage Society. He included Serra as part of his estate plan in the hopes of continuing his support of Serra.
To learn more about the Father Serra Heritage Society and how you can support future Padres, contact Advancement Office at giving@serrahs.com or 650-573-9935.
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