Age 84
Sister Martha Hanlon was a Sister of Mercy for 62 years. She was a treasure to all who knew her—as a gifted administrator, an enthusiastic teacher, a compassionate mentor, and a loving friend. During her life in Mercy, Sister Martha passionately embraced her ministries in the Dioceses of Scranton, Harrisburg, and Brooklyn, New York. She served as Assistant Academic Dean and Dean of Students at Misericordia University. At King’s College, Wilkes-Barre, Sister Martha was an Associate Professor of Education and the King’s College Student Teaching Program Director.
In recent years, Sister Martha served on the Boards of Misericordia University, the Mercy Foundation, the NativityMiguel School of Scranton, the Ethics Institute of NEPA, and the McGlynn Learning Center. Sister Martha was active on the Luzerne County Youth Aid Panel for many years.
Martha’s overflowing generosity and unwavering faith in the goodness of people enabled her to indelibly touch the hearts of many. Her deep commitment to the underserved took her to Uganda, where she worked with African Women Religious to create educational enrichment programs for young Sisters.
Her friends could identify only one dream unfulfilled in Martha’s life: she never scored that coveted hole-in-one in her favorite sport of golf.