| Graduation Year | Class of 1972 |
| Date of Passing | Oct 10, 2018 |
| About | Kathleen Marie Callahan November 23, 1954 - October 10, 2018 Surrounded by loved ones, Kathleen Marie Callahan, age 63, died peacefully at home in Oakland on October 10, 2018. Since being diagnosed with liver cancer in August 2017, she had pursued all available treatment. Kathleen is survived by her devoted husband Andreas Neyer; loving children Sarah Callahan Stanley and Christoph Neyer; daughter-in-law Anne Spevack; siblings Claire (her twin), James, John, Michael, Mary Ellen, and Matthew; sisters-in-law Nancy Callahan, Beatrice Neyer, and Rhys Cheung; nephews Joey Callahan, Flavio Bosetti, and Sionnain Cheung Callahan; nieces Rebekah Callahan Goodman and Aoibheann Cheung Callahan; and too many cousins to count. She was predeceased by her sister Patricia and both parents. She leaves behind many, many friends, including several honorary members of her family. Born to parents James Joseph and Margaret Elin (Bendorf) Callahan in Washington, D.C., Kathleen grew up in Piedmont, California, attending numerous schools including Saint Leo's, Our Lady of Lourdes, Piedmont Junior and Senior High, and Berkeley High. At age 17, Kathleen moved to Philadelphia, where she studied cello under Orlando Cole at the New School of Music. She returned to the Bay Area and performed with a number of orchestras, while taking art history classes at Hayward State and later pre-med classes at UC Santa Cruz. In 1976, she was appointed Principal Cello at Hidden Valley Opera. In her mid-20s, while living in San Francisco, Kathleen began her career in real estate. She also married her first husband, David Stanley, at this time, and their daughter Sarah was born in 1981. Kathleen relocated to Oakland and in 1983 received her broker's license, ultimately becoming a broker-owner at Better Homes in Montclair Village. In 1988, she married Andreas Neyer, and in 1989, her second child, Christoph, was born. The family of four moved to Andreas' native Switzerland in 1991, where Kathleen began teaching private English lessons while continuing to play the cello in both community and professional orchestras and ensembles. In 1994, the family moved back to the United States, this time settling in Piedmont. She had kept her broker's license active while living abroad and quickly resumed her real estate practice. Over the course of her 35-year career, Kathleen took great pride in providing a real estate experience that was tailored to the unique needs of each of her clients. Undeterred by injuries to her shoulder during her professional career, she continued playing the cello for fun with friends and at special occasions. Both of Kathleen's children attended UC Berkeley, and with the children grown and out of the house, Kathleen became increasingly active in local charitable organizations and as a volunteer. She volunteered as a candy striper at Highland Hospital and more recently with the WriterCoach Connection in the Berkeley public schools. She served on the Board of Clausen House and the Piedmont Center for the Arts, where she also produced Tom Foolery. Following Andreas' retirement in 2013, the happy couple pursued their love of travel together, with their most frequent destinations being England, Germany, and Switzerland. In addition to music (especially opera) and travel, Kathleen took a special interest in architecture, cooking, writing, and history. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Liver Foundation or the WriterCoach Connection. For information about Kathleen's celebration of life, please visit www.KathleenCallahan.com. Published in San Francisco Chronicle on Oct. 21, 2018 If questions or want to talk, please call her sister Claire Callahan Goodman at 510-918-9299. |
