Age 96
Teacher, vice-principal, and principal at St. Mary School in Bordentown, New Jersey, for over two decades, Sister Joyce Marie thrived in the presence of children.
Born in Trenton, New Jersey, Sister Joyce Marie Riley first met the Sisters of Mercy at St. Joseph’s Parish in East Trenton when she joined the Senior Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Later, she became the prefect of the Sodality Union of Mercer County. Her vocation took root through the Sisters of Charity, and a sixth-grade teacher who encouraged the class to recite the Hail Mary each day for the grace of a vocation – a prayer she continued to pray throughout her years as a religious to strengthen her vocation.
Before entering religious life, she worked for three years, first as a secretary for an insurance company and then for the Trenton Council of Campfire Girls. At the age of 21, she entered the Sisters of Mercy in Watchung, New Jersey. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey, and a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio.
Sister Joyce Marie’s 31-year teaching ministry began at St. Mary Academy, an elementary school in Lakewood, New Jersey, where several students were boarders.
When she was assigned to Holy Spirit School in Atlantic City, Sister Joyce not only taught but also coordinated the reading program and served as the parish organist. When teaching at St. Mary School in Bordentown, New Jersey, for 12 years, she especially enjoyed preparing children in the primary grades for the sacraments. She also ministered as the principal there for ten years.
Sister Joyce Marie was named “Outstanding Educator in the Trenton Diocese” just before she retired to Gabriel Hall at Mount Saint Mary’s in Watchung, New Jersey, where she served as head of the Resident Council for a number of years.