Celebrating a true Mayfield rock star, Kathleen Clougherty Regan ’64

3/5/2019

When Kathleen Clougherty Regan ’64 visited campus recently, a brief interaction with a student gave her reason to celebrate.

“I’m just walking up and this lovely student takes a moment, smiles and says ‘hi,’ ” she said. “She didn’t even know me...We made a connection!”

That joyful welcome captures what Kathleen loves most about her alma mater.

“The friendliness, the love—I see it in our Mayfield girls today,” she said. “And it makes me feel that I’m still at home; Mayfield is still my second home.”

The first thing to know about Kathleen is that everyone calls her “Tede” (pron. TEE-dee), a childhood nickname coined by a young cousin who could not pronounce Kathleen.

Second, Tede’s father, Francis, who established Farmer John meats with his brother in 1931, initiated a lifelong Clougherty family bond to Mayfield that began with his friendship with Mother Wilfrid back in the 1950s and Tede’s acceptance to the school in 1960.

“By the grace of God, Mother accepted me to Mayfield,” Tede said. “I wasn’t the best student, you know. But I look back on my high school days at Mayfield and it was the best time; I have nothing but fond memories.”

We honor Tede for her lifelong connection to Mayfield and her loving resolve to carry on her family’s commitment to supporting our Catholic, Holy Child education and philosophy.

Tede has journeyed with Mayfield for nearly 60 years, holding dear the virtues of faith, community, respect, dignity and service, which were modeled by her parents and reinforced at Mayfield. Not a building has been erected or renovated, not a fundraising campaign or major initiative has unfolded without the support of Tede and the Clougherty family.

“Mayfield is in my heart,” she said. “I know my family gave so much to me, but Mayfield really influenced me. ‘Actions Not Words’ has stayed with me all these years,” she said.

Her father “really hit it off with Mother Wilfrid,” she said. He was among the founding members of our Board of Trustees, establishing Mayfield as the premier all-girls, Catholic high school in the region.

Like Mayfield students of today, Tede has high praise for her excellent teachers, who put her learning first. She recalled struggling in algebra, yet loving school plays, memorizing her lines with confidence.

“When Mother Agnes heard me say all those lines she told me ‘Tede, if you can do that, you can memorize a formula,’ ” she recalled. “She was a fantastic teacher, so encouraging.”

Among her favorite memories is the prom she helped organize with a butterfly theme. “It wasn’t just a junior-senior prom like today—everyone went and it was on campus...Butterflies everywhere!”

Her commitment to service was ingrained as a Mayfield student, when she and other girls would travel to what is now Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, shuttling patients in wheelchairs.

“We learned that giving back is just what you do,” she said.

Continuing her father’s service and leadership role at Mayfield, Tede served on our Board of Trustees from 2001-2007, sharing her wise counsel as an active alumna. During her tenure on the Board, Mayfield completed a master plan that led to the creation of new classrooms in the south wing of Strub Hall, as well as the new Sr. Barbara Mullen Library and Student Commons.

Her belief in founder Cornelia Connelly’s educational mission “to meet the wants of the age” led to her generous 1996 donation to fund the Clougherty Computer Center, among the first state-of-the-art computer labs in a Catholic high school.

This brings us to another Tede trait we simply adore. She is our biggest social media fan. Yes!

Tede embraces technology and is among the first to like, love, applaud and comment on Mayfield Facebook posts. She texts, shares and sends photos.
It’s all about maintaining connections and the lifelong relationships she forged at Mayfield.

“It’s just so fun to reconnect with the girls,” she said of her former classmates. “When we start talking, it’s like we have never been away.”

Tede also served for more than four decades on our Alumnae Council and in 1997 was named our Cornelian Award winner, the highest honor Mayfield gives to an alumna who exemplifies our Holy Child values. Every year Tede supports a Holy Child Scholar and cherishes the relationship they build.

She also stands strong as woman of faith who has confronted difficult life challenges with love, strength and prayer.

Two days before her Mayfield graduation, Tede’s mother, Mary, died of cancer and she will “never forget the love I felt at Mayfield...Oh my God, the nuns were fantastic.”

Tede remembers her graduation day so clearly. Immediately after the ceremony, Tede, her family and the Sisters gathered to pray the Rosary in the Chapel—a peaceful devotion to the Blessed Mother she still carries today.

“My mom and daddy had prayed for me to graduate from Mayfield,” Tede said. “This is what my mother wanted.”

After attending Marymount College, she met her husband, Bill, through a mutual friend. They were married in 1972 and had two boys, Sean and Casey. Bill joined the family business and Tede took on the vocation of motherhood, home life and volunteer service.

Events in 1986 changed the course of her life. Her beloved father and older sister Loretta both died from lung cancer, just months apart. Six months later Bill and the boys were enjoying an all-terrain vehicle outing when Bill’s vehicle flipped. He broke his neck, an injury that left him a quadriplegic.

“Daddy and Lolly had passed away and then this happened to Billy,” she said. “I don’t know how I got through it. Faith. Faith.”

Tede cared for her husband while raising her sons. With her loving care and the family’s support, Bill continued to work at Farmer John. When it became a physical struggle for Tede to support his needs, she brought in professional help. He died in 2013.

“It’s what makes you strong, you know? My religion has gotten me through some hard times, very hard times,” she said. “He was the same man I married except that he couldn't walk or do other things. I was always in love with my best friend.”

When she reached a rough point, she would pray to our Blessed Mother. “I would just say please help me.”

The Clougherty family remains strong and loving. Tonight many of them surround their amazing sister, mother and aunt. Some of Tede’s incredible circle of Mayfield friends are here, too!

When you see Tede, we hope you welcome her with a huge smile and a warm “hi.” Because at Mayfield, you have a lifelong family of friends.

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