Age 90
Maryann’s love of God and all the people God placed in her life were the recipients of her thoughtfulness, patience, and generous heart of mercy.
Born in Philadelphia, for high school, she attended the Academy of the Sisters of Mercy in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania (now Gwynedd Mercy High School) where she first met the Sisters of Mercy and felt the stirrings of her religious vocation. After graduating from high school at the age of 18, Maryann entered the Sisters of Mercy in Merion, Pennsylvania.
For four years she served as an elementary school teacher, but readily accepted a request to study nursing, a decision that shaped the course of her life for the next six decades. Degrees from Villanova University and Ohio State University prepared her for a variety of healthcare ministries. Maryann held positions as a nurse, nursing supervisor, and director of ambulatory services at Misericordia Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She also served as a nursing instructor for six years at Gwynedd-Mercy College and later as administrator of St. Edmond’s Home in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, for six years. As coordinator of health services at Manresa Hall in Merion, Pennsylvania, for 11 years, Maryann cared for the needs of retired Jesuits in Philadelphia. In her final years of active ministry in health care she served as a consultant and health care coordinator in community-based programs. Volunteer service with the Red Cross for 11 years completed her journey until her retirement at the Convent of Mercy and McAuley Convent, both in Merion.
God blessed Maryann with a multitude of gifts and talents that shaped her life and led her on a long, fruitful path of fulfillment and service of God and others. Her high school friends recall her inherent leadership, sharp intellect, and athletic abilities. In community and family settings, her fun-loving and “take charge” spirit brought people together for holidays and memorable celebrations. Her love of God and all the people God placed in her life were the recipients of her thoughtfulness, patience, and generous heart of mercy.