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Our Purposeful Prayer

It was the way Boyd Security Director Milton Bloom would've wanted to be remembered. A Los Angeles Dodgers jersey on display. Half a dozen Chaminade baseball players and their Coach Frank Mutz attending.

The opening tune "Right Field" by Peter, Paul and Mary played, and the memorial ended with everyone singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," also known as the seventh-inning stretch song.

On May 5, 2015, more than 50 family, friends, students, parents, faculty, administrators, staff and even a retired dean attended the memorial at the chapel on the West Hills campus.

An emotional fellow security guard, Javier Marmol, remembered his mentor, who moved from Brooklyn, N.Y. to L.A. in 1955. Two years later, the Brooklyn Dodgers followed him to Los Angeles.

"Milton was a huge baseball fan, especially his Dodgers," Mr. Marmol said. "The opening song says playing right field can be lonely and dull, and Milton sometimes said sitting in that security booth could be lonely and dull as well.

"Yet the song ends with the team needing him, and that is exactly what Milton did every single day," Mr. Marmol added, his voice breaking as he composed himself.

"He was there whenever anyone needed him. He was there to make sure the field was always protected."

In addition, morning prayer May 1, and our Apostolic Works and Mary Crowning Mass were celebrated in honor of Bloom, whose death was announced by Principal Steve Lepire and director of Mission Integration Bro. Adam Becerra, fsp.

Mr. Bloom and his team of security officers patrolled the West Hills campus and politely greeted parents, visitors, staff and students at the guard kiosk.

“He was known for his diligent work in making sure that our students drove with caution,” Mr. Lepire said in an email. “He took appropriate steps to ensure our campus' safety and even participated in events that promoted school spirit.”

Mr. Bloom, a key figure in our Chaminade family and winner of a high school community service award, had worked at the West Hills campus about six years.

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"She is strong and respected and not afraid of the future. She speaks with gentle wisdom. She is always busy and looks after her family’s needs."
Proverbs 31, 25-27

Your prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of Antoinette Baleggi, grandmother (“Tayta” in Lebanese) of Mrs. Noelle Melendrez’ 05, instructor of Religion, and alum Justine Nader ’13. Mrs. Baleggi died peacefully in April 2015, in her home surrounded by family.

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Please also pray for Mrs. Janet Poole, mother of Ms. Jenn Poole, vice principal of instruction, and grandmother of Gracie Jurczyk ’17. Mrs. Poole died April 22, 2015 following a long illness. “Janet Poole was a beloved wife to my dad, Jim, an endlessly loving mom to my brother Jonathan and me, and a devoted Nana to her granddaughters Gracie, and Catherine Poole,” according to Ms. Poole.

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A memorial Mass held Oct. 11, 2014, at the Blessed Chaminade Chapel at the West Hills campus (glass rotunda behind Media Center), memorialized Fr. Ted Ley's father, Theodore Ley Sr. Family, friends and Fr. Ted's choir, the Schola Cantorum of the Pacific, remembered his dad in prayer, eulogies, a military color guard, flag ceremony, and with song.

Fr. Ted, SM, '58 returned his 98-year-old father to God on Aug. 20. The choir sang "Till Then" as the sending forth recessional song. It was Mr. Ley and the late Mrs. Statia Ley's favorite tune.

Mr. Ley was able to hold his great-grandson, Niklaus, just the day before he returned to God, during the 6-week-old's baptism at the care facility where Mr. Ley was in hospice. Mr. Ley also was the father of Chaminade alumnus and Fr. Ted's brother, Michael Ley '62.

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Scripture and information provided by Mrs. Ellen Celaya, member of Chaminade's Board of Directors and assistant to board President Mr. Rob Webb. Mrs. Celaya is a bereavement minister at her parish.