I came across this obituary for the pioneering lawyer Margie Ahearn in the September 26 La Jolla Light. The mother of six children, she came into her legal career later in life. An excerpt:

“Marjorie ‘Marge’ Fricke Ahern, a long time resident of La Jolla, passed away peacefully August 15, 2010, after a brief bout with cancer at the age of 86 years. She was preceded in death by her husband Jim on October 15, 2009.

Marge was born and raised in Altadena, California, and spent many happy summers on Catalina Island. It was there she met Roger Morehart whom she married in 1942, and had her first son Fritz Ahern who was born in Hollywood. Following the birth of her first son, she attended UCLA where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English and then taught elementary school in Brawley, CA, for several years.

After WWII, Marge met Jim, her husband of 58 years, on Catalina Island. They were married in Altadena, CA, in 1951, and lived in Long Beach, CA, where their five children were born, before moving to La Jolla in 1960.

In 1964, when the youngest of her six kids went off to first grade, Marge attended Cal Western Law School and became one of the first female attorneys in San Diego. She practiced law in La Jolla for several years and eventually moved her practice to downtown San Diego. She also taught legal aspects of real estate at a local community college. Marge loved her work so much that she was still going to her downtown office at the spry age of 84.

Marge loved to travel with her ‘buddy’ Jim and kept extensive journals of her trips. She was a voracious reader, a practice that she encouraged in her own children. Tending her garden, walking to Mt. Soledad cross, spending time with her family, and a gentle breaststroke in the ocean were her favorite ways to relax.”