May He Rest in Peace

Father Jack Pejza, OSA, served as Central Catholic’s third principal from 1975 through 1980. We received notice of his death from a heart attack on December 12, 2009, just this week.

Father Jack was educated in Augustinian schools and attended Villanova University (an Augustinian University) in Philadelphia; he was ordained to the priesthood in 1961. He was a long-time Rotarian, a historian with several published pieces on the history of the Augustinians, and lectured at NCEA conventions on computers in education. Although he spent most of his career in five Catholic high schools, including Central Catholic, to look at him you might have thought him a college professor – his love for history and science and his ever-present pipe gave him a very academic air.

Father Pejza kept up with Central Catholic after the order sent him to St. Augustine High School in San Diego and then Villanova Prep in Ojai. His interest in BASH (which got underway while he was principal) never failed and he always took great pride in the fact that he hired both the head of our Science Department, Mrs. Wilde, and our president, Mr. Pecchenino.

Please remember him in your prayers.