Age 94
Sister Ellenore Mary graced many lives with her prayers, presence, contagious laugh, and the mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
The oldest of eight children, she contracted polio as a child, but overcame the disease’s effects.
She wanted to be Sister of Mercy in first grade and never wavered from this decision. Graduating as valedictorian of her high school class at Sacred Heart High School, in Waterbury, Connecticut, she was deeply influenced by her Sisters of Mercy teachers. Entering the Sisters of Mercy after graduation, she professed her vows six years later.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in mathematics and education from St. Joseph’s College in West Hartford, Connecticut. An elementary school teacher for 19 years in the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut, and the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, she ministered as the supervisor of schools for the Archdiocese of Hartford for 27 years.
A sought-after presenter of her authored elementary and junior high school computer literacy curriculum (1981) and accompanying workbooks, she conducted professional development sessions for teachers and school administrators. She also mastered technology and established the computerized record-keeping system for donor recognition in the Archdiocesan healthcare system.
In her final years in the Mercy Community in West Hartford, Connecticut, Sister Ellenore Mary continued to grace many lives with her prayers, gratitude, appreciation and kindness.