Lucy Killea

Lucy Killea (born Lucy Gold Lytle; "both of which sought to help people south of the border through grants and charitable giving." She died on January 18, 2017, in San Diego, at the age of 94.

Education In addition to her undergraduate studies, Lucy Killea received a Master of Arts degree in history from the University of San Diego in 1966, and a doctorate in history from the University of California, San Diego, in 1975.

Elections and controversy Killea was elected to the San Diego City Council from 1978 to 1982, then to the California State Assembly from its 78th district from 1982 to 1989.

She was elected in a special election in 1989, replacing Larry Stirling as the senator for California's 39th State Senate district. Controversy surrounded the election as Leo Thomas Maher, the Catholic bishop of San Diego, prohibited Killea from receiving communion because she was pro-choice; she was the first politician to be punished in such a way for her political views. The incident brought publicity to her candidacy and gained her the voters' sympathy, winning her the election. Killea was subsequently re-elected in 1992, after leaving the Democratic Party in 1991 to become Independent. Due to term limits, she was unable to run for reelection in 1996, and retired.

Honors Lucy Killea was nominated and inducted into the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame in 2002 hosted by Women's Museum of California, Commission on the Status of Women, University of California, San Diego, Women's Center, and San Diego State University Women's Studies. She was a senior fellow of the International Community Foundation, and served on the Board of Advisors of the San Diego–based Center for Ethics in Science and Technology.