Marguerite Marie Bachand's Obituary
Marguerite Marie Bachand of Oakland, CA, passed away July 18, 2024, at the age of 69 after a brief struggle with cancer. She was born in Oakland, California in June 1955, one of seven children. She graduated from Holy Names High School and received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California Davis, interspersed with living abroad and working in Europe. That period began a lifelong love affair with French culture and the broader international community, and the cultivation of dear friends far and wide. She was a talented artist, painting many portraits for family and friends and once tackling a store mural in the Los Angeles area. She became a single mother in 2009 when she adopted a young child. While she enjoyed reading, traveling, and gardening, her greatest joy and pride was raising her child. Marguerite’s career began as a broker at Charles Schwab in San Francisco but over time transitioned to more altruistic endeavors to help raise others, first founding the Sage Scholar program at the University of California Office of the President to support student diversity through financial support as well as training and mentoring. She subsequently worked at various non-profits and foundations, including serving as a Senior Program Office at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, as Chief Operation Officer at the Roots of Peace to help farmers in regions suffering from war and poverty, and most recently as the Executive Director at Operation Dignity to help veterans and their families with housing and other services. Marguerite was an optimistic and spiritual person, always looking for the silver linings in the clouds. She held firm in her hope through the greatest challenges, including an earlier encounter with blood cancer that eventually led to a bone marrow transplant a decade ago. Marguerite is survived by her son August Bachand, and her dear cats, Zora and Lukas. She is also survived by her siblings Therese Bachand, Edward Bachand (Pamela), Karen Bachand (Michael), Paul Bachand (Lynette), Philip Bachand (Sandra), and Tom Bachand (Kathryn), as well as her nieces and nephews Anna and Lily Kerrigan, Michael and Jacqueline Bachand, Lauren, Jenny and Anna Bachand, and Nicholas and Claire Bachand, and Claire Kowaleswski-Marsh, and many dear friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Clifford and Dorothy Bachand. Funeral arrangements will be held at 11 AM on July 28 at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, CA. In place of flowers, please make contributions to Operation Dignity in Oakland, California.
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