2021 Ring of Honor Inductees

On Wednesday, June 2, we celebrated the 2021 Ring of Honor Inductees at our Annual Donor Appreciation Night in the beauty of the Grotto. It was the first time in over a year that we were able to welcome beloved members of the MD family back onto campus. Read on to learn about this year’s esteemed class of inductees.

The Sisters of St. Louis The Sisters of St. Louis were among the first orders of religious educators during Mater Dei’s foundational years in the 1950s through the 1980s. The order was originally founded in 1842 in France by Fr. Louis Bautain, but its development centered around the mother house founded in Ireland in 1859. In 1949 as California was experiencing a post-war population boom, the community established a U.S. headquarters in Woodland Hills, CA. This was shortly after answering a plea from an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles who shared that the growing number of Catholic schools badly needed teachers. Serving as teachers, club moderators (Glee Club, Highlighters Club, Journalism), music ministers, and great mentors to the earliest Monarchs, the Sisters greatly contributed to many MD traditions that are alive and well today. Former faculty member, Sr. Bridget Clare McKeever, SSL (then known as Sr. Wilfred) wrote the lyrics to the school’s alma mater defining our charism of “HONOR, GLORY, LOVE.” Throughout several volumes of the CROWN yearbook, you’ll find many pages of SSL faculty in black and white traditional box habits. Today, they favor floral skirts and sweaters. While their attire may have changed, the sisters’ dedication to education, pastoral ministries, and social outreach has not wavered. Former Faculty members Sr. Nuala Ryan and Sr. Judith Dieterle ’67, class salutatorian, accepted the honor on behalf of their order.

From left: Pat and Marti Murphy, Sr. Judith Dieterle ‘67, Sr. Nuala Ryan and Bob Webber ‘59.

Robert “Bob” Webber ‘59 Born in Boston, MA, Robert “Bob” Webber spent his youth there until relocating to Santa Ana in the 1950s. He spent two years at St. Anne School, Santa Ana before becoming part of the original classes that formed many of Mater Dei’s long-standing traditions. Bob was active in student government all four years and served as ASB President in 1959. He was a four-year member of the varsity baseball team and first-string defensive player on the football team. Bob was part of Mater Dei’s first Football Team that clenched the CIF Championship in 1956 under the leadership of the late-great Coach Dick Coury. Professionally, Bob dedicated over 40 years as the corporate vice president of a large environmental chemical and biological testing laboratory in Orange, CA. During his work in the environmental field, he received international recognition for his achievement in the State of California’s wastewater industry. For over 60 years, Bob has remained incredibly dedicated to his high school alma mater. He is a founding member of the Mater Dei Lettermen’s Club which has raised over $250,000 for need-based financial aid for student athletes since the club’s founding in the early 2000s. Bob is a go-to member of the Class of 1959 and has worked hard to keep his classmates connected through class reunions and get-togethers for over six decades. Always grateful for the foundation Mater Dei High School provided him, Bob has consistently supported various initiatives including financial aid, the arts, athletics, the all-school auction, campus ministry, and capital projects. A founding member of Josef’s Legacy Guild, Bob’s testamentary gift to Mater Dei will continue to benefit the school into perpetuity. Bob and his long-time companion, Margie, are avid photographers and consistent attendees at many MD games and events. Over the years, they have become regulars at MD Surf Team contests and have taken stunning action shots of our athletes in the waves – sometimes as early as 5 a.m. Bob is the proud father of Stephen and Brandi, both of whom live in Northern CA.

Patrick “Pat” and Martha “Marti” Murphy Pat and Marti Murphy have been a part of the Mater Dei family since 1990. During his 30-year tenure at MD, Pat wore many hats including administrator, teacher, coach, mentor, innovator, visionary, and friend. Committed to Mater Dei’s long-term sustainability, he was instrumental in the growth of so many campus programs and oversaw the large-scale redevelopment of Mater Dei’s campus and establishment of the school’s endowment. Over the years, Pat was a constant at nearly every Mater Dei game, performance, concert, award ceremony, competition, rally, and Mass. He strongly believed and supported the talents of so many generations of Monarchs and had Marti’s full support even when it meant being away from home. Before his time at Mater Dei, Pat held numerous teaching, administrative, and coaching positions at the high school and collegiate levels. He now serves as the President of Business Operations, Strategy & Development with NHL’s Arizona Coyotes where he oversees the team’s business, finance, corporate, ticketing, sales and marketing departments. Marti was a founding faculty member of Junior Monarch, a summer leadership and enrichment program for rising 6th graders from our Santa Ana Catholic feeder schools. She recently retired from 30 years at Harbor Day School where she taught 3rd and 5th grade. Married since 1988, Pat and Marti met while teaching at the University of San Diego High School but had to date surreptitiously. The Murphys have been long-time, quiet benefactors of Mater Dei High School and focus their giving on financial aid. Pat and Marti are the proud parents of Svetlana and Liana and grandparents of Jake, Jackson, and Harrison.