Sunday, March 21, 2021
Today, March 21, 2021 I checked my computer for Prof. Robert C. Padden and I confirmed that he had passed some time ago, in fact eight years ago. I believe it's never too late to leave a word to his family. I met Dr. Padden at the Berkeley campus of the University of California as a young grad student looking for a theme for my dissertation. I was not his student or even a graduate from Berkeley. I was married to a grad student at the University and was planning to carry out my research for a doctorate at Berkeley. He guided me to a topic that I found interesting and, in fact, became my dissertation thesis at Harvard. It also marked my path as a historian of women, of religious women, and the Catholic church in general. I still have very good memories of my visits to him: a very charming man who welcome students with warmth and wisdom. I simply want to thank him again--in spirit--and join his family for his loss. He left a memorable record as a historian and as a person.
Asuncion Lavrin, Ph.D.
