Obituaries

On the morning of October 30, 2016, Edith Erlene Monk Hallberg passed away peacefully in her apartment at the Redwood Gardens in Berkeley, CA. She was 69 years old. 

Edie was born in San Francisco, CA on February 7, 1947, the third daughter of Edgar and Cledyth Monk. She grew up in the East Bay and graduated from Harry Ells High School in Richmond, in 1964. Soon after graduation she met her husband, Michael John Hallberg, moved to Berkeley, where they had two children together: Carl in 1967, and Helen in 1969. 

Edie’s experience with her kids’ preschool sparked a lifelong passion for education. She earned a degree in childhood education from SFSU, and worked as a substitute teacher in the Berkeley Unified School District for nearly 30 years; a generation of Berkeley kids will remember her as “The Cat Lady” thanks to the festive feline theme she brought to the classroom. 

Everyone who knew Edie knows she was a tireless champion for the rights of workers, teachers, the elderly, and the homeless. She became active in Berkeley politics and was a proud member of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, the Labor Commission, the Homeless Commission, the Commission on Aging, the East Bay Gray Panthers, the Rockin’ Solidarity Chorus, the California Alliance for Retired Americans, the Peace and Freedom Party, and countless other groups dedicated to justice for the underprivileged and underserved. Her tenacious activism will be missed by all. 

Edie is survived by her sisters Maxine Wood and Pam Railsback, her long time companion Bob Magarian, her children Carl Hallberg and Helen Hallberg, and 4 grandchildren. 

Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial service on Sunday December 11th, 1:00 pm at the North Berkeley Senior Center 1901 Hearst Ave, Berkeley.