Sister Diane Grassilli, 56; Nun Oversaw 42 Hospitals in Region for Her Order
Sister Diane Grassilli, 56, president of the Sisters of Mercy Burlingame Region, covering California and Arizona, died of cancer July 16 at the Marian Care Center in Burlingame, Calif.
As chairwoman of the board of directors of Catholic Healthcare West from 2002 to 2005, Grassilli oversaw the system’s 42 hospitals, including St. John’s Hospital in Oxnard and Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield. The Sisters of Mercy religious community also administers the Alma Via assisted living facility in Camarillo.
A native of San Francisco, Grassilli graduated from Russell College in Burlingame before joining the Sisters of Mercy. She taught high school before moving into strategic planning for the Burlingame Region community, which has 172 sisters and 131 lay associates in California and Arizona.
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