Sister Margaret James McGrath, (Marguerite), 88, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 68th year, died in Holyoke, Mass. on September 25. A native of Easthampton, Mass., she was the daughter of Edward and Margaret (Bradley) McGrath.

Sister entered the Sisters of St Joseph from Immaculate Conception Parish, Easthampton. She was graduated from St. Michael High School, Northampton. She earned a B.S. degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, an M.S. degree from Fordham University, New York, NY and an Ed.D. from Nova University.

Sister was a faculty member in the Biology Department at The College of Our Lady of the Elms for her entire teaching career. For many years she was the Director of the Medical Technology Program.  She served her many students with great attention over the years. She served on many College committees and was the faithful faculty advisor to the Alumni Association. Sister was retired and lived at St. Joseph Residence, Mont Marie, Holyoke.

Sister Richard Maria Allen (Beatrice M. Allen), 89, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph for 70 years, died at Mont Marie Health Care Center in Holyoke, Mass. on August 27, 2011.  A native of Webster, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Ethan and Carolyn (Mogee) Allen.  Sister Richard Maria received her early education at St. Louis School, Webster and was graduated from St. Louis High School in 1940.  She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from St. Louis Parish, Webster in 1941. She earned an A.B. degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, Mass.

Sister ministered in the Springfield Diocese in Immaculate Conception School, Easthampton, St. Matthew, Indian Orchard and St. Joseph, Pittsfield.  In the Worcester Diocese she taught in Sacred Heart School, Gardner and for many years in St. Mary’s, Southbridge. In 1980 she became a Nurse’s Aide and worked in Liberty Nursing Home and Providence Home in Southbridge. She retired in Southbridge in 1994.

Sister Miriam Patrice Brosnan (Helen G.), 89, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 72nd year, died on August 11, 2011 in the Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, Mass. Born in Worcester, she was the daughter of the late Patrick and Nora (Ferriter) Brosnan.  Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from St. Peter Parish, Worcester. Her early education was in the parish school and she was graduated from St. Peter High School in 1940.  She earned a B.A. degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, Mass.

Among Sister Miriam’s teaching assignments were the following schools:  St. Charles, Pittsfield; Immaculate Conception, West Springfield; St. Mary, Milford; St. Mary, Southbridge and St. Louis, Webster. She retired at Our Lady of the Angels Convent, Worcester in 1993.  Sister received the Third Annual Retired Religious Award from the Diocese of Worcester in 2001. She retired at St. Joseph Residence at Mont Marie in 2003 and the Mont Marie Health Care Center in 2004.

Sister Rita Eagan, (Agnes Veronica), 92, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 73^rd  year died at Mont Marie Health Care Center in Holyoke on June 1^st, 2011. A native of Worcester, Mass., she was the daughter of Michael and Agnes (Lawler) Eagan.

Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from St. Peter Parish, Worcester. She graduated from St. Peter’s High School in Worcester and earned A.B. and M.A. degrees from the College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee, Mass.

Sister ministered in the Diocese of Springfield in Our Lady of Hope School, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, Holy Name School, and Cathedral High School, all in Springfield.  She also served in St. Louis School, Webster, Mass. and was the principal at Sacred Heart School, Pawtucket, R.I.  In 1971 she joined the faculty of the College of Our Lady of the Elms where she taught Sociology for twenty years.  Sister also served on the Leadership Team of the Sisters of St Joseph from 1975-1982. In 1997 she became a resident of St. Joseph Retirement Residence at Mont Marie and in 1998 she became a resident of Mont Marie Health Care Center.

Sister Juliette Marcotte, (Paul Michel), 80, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph in her 60^th year, died at Mont Marie, Holyoke, Mass., on Friday, May 27, 2011. Sister was born in New Bedford, Mass., the daughter of the late Omer and Aurore (Charbonneau) Marcotte.  She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of LePuy in Fall River from St. Anthony Parish, New Bedford.

Sister’s early education was in the parochial schools of New Bedford. She studied Religious Studies at Providence College in Rhode Island. She also attended Southeastern MA University.  She became a Sister of St. Joseph of Springfield when the two communities merged in 1974.

Among Sister’s assignments were Blessed Sacrament, St. Matthew and St. Jean Baptiste. Fall River; St. Louis de France, Swansea; St. Michael, Ocean Grove, and St. Joseph, New Bedford.   Sister also served as an aide at St. Mary Home, New Bedford, as housekeeper at Oblate Retreat House, Hudson, N.H. From 1993 to 2005 she served as a site supervisor at Weston Rehab Associates, Holyoke. She was recognized and honored for her ‘‘valuable contributions and joyous service to Weston Rehabilitation Center for Women” in March, 1999.

Sister Therese Ouellette, (Pauline), 81, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 66th year, died in Holyoke on May 15th.  A native of Fall River, Mass., she was the daughter of Odilon and Aldea (Jalbert) Ouellette.

Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of LePuy in Fall River, MA from St. Jean Baptiste Parish, Fall River.  The Sisters of St. Joseph of Fall River and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield merged in 1974. Sister was graduated from Novitiate High School and earned a B.A. degree from Sacred Heart College, Fall River and a M.A. degree from Rivier College, Nashua, N.H.

She ministered in the Diocese of Fall River as a teacher at St. Matthew and St. Jean Baptiste Schools, Fall River, as teacher and librarian at St. Michael and St. Louis Schools, Swansea, and later as Reading Specialist again at St. Jean Baptiste. She then served in Child Care in Assonet and Johnson Residence, Swansea.

Sister Marie Clotilde Remy, (Concorde), 95, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 81st year, died in Holyoke on February 24, 2011. Born in Fall River, Mass., she was the daughter of Leon and Alice (Couturier).  Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of LePuy of Fall River from Blessed Sacrament Parish, Fall River.

Sister was graduated from Novitiate High School in Fall River. She earned a B. Ed. degree from Rivier College, Nashua, NH and a M.Ed. from St. Rose College, Albany, N.Y.  She became a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield when the two Communities merged in 1974.

She was a teacher in the Diocese of Fall River in  St. Joseph School and St. Therese School, New Bedford; St. Michael School, Swansea and in the following schools in Fall River: St. Roch, Blessed Sacrament, St. Matthew, St. Francis and St. Jean Baptiste.  In her retirement from teaching she continued to provide piano lessons in Fall River.  In 1993 Sister became a member of St. Joseph Retirement Community at Mont Marie, Holyoke.

Sister Rita Marie Emerson, (Rita Agnes), 85, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 68th year, died on  February 15^th at Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, Mass. Born in Whitehall, N.Y., she was the daughter of the late Carl and Harriett (Ryan) Emerson.

Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Vermont in 1943 from St. Peter’s Parish, Rutland, Vt.  She became a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in 2001 when the two Communities merged. She received her early education at St. Peter’s School and was graduated from Mt. St. Joseph Academy both in Rutland. She earned a BS degree from the College of St. Rose, Albany, N.Y. and a MED from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis.

Sister taught at St. Charles School, Bellows Falls, Vt. and St. Peter’s in Rutland. She served as Principal at Christ the King School and St. Peter’s School, Rutland and Currier Memorial Grade School, Danby, Vt. Sister also taught at College of St. Joseph, Rutland in the Education Division.  In addition, she served as the Elementary Supervisor for the Bennington/Rutland Supervisory Union. She retired to St. Joseph Residence, Rutland, Vt. in 1996.

Among the honors that Sister received was the Certificate of Special Recognition of the Vermont Headmasters’ Association, Inc. for exemplary leadership in Establishing Outstanding School and Community Rapport.  Also, she was named a police Commissioner for the city of Rutland. In her retirement, Sister was active in the Head Start Foster Grandparent program.

Sister Rita Morey, (Francis Therese), beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 71^st   year died at Mont Marie in Holyoke on December 31^st, 2010. A native of Milford, Mass., she was the daughter of the late James F. and Delphine V. (Paradis) Morey.

Sister received her early education in St. Mary Grammar School and was graduated from Milford High School in 1937. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from St. Mary Parish, Milford.  Sister earned an A.B. degree and an M.A. in History from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee.  She earned an M.A. in English Literature at Boston College and studied Library Science at the Elms and Worcester State College.

Sister was a teacher for 45 years in Diocesan schools administered by the Sisters of St. Joseph including St. Joseph School, Newport, RI, St. Stephen School, Worcester, and St. Joseph School, Pittsfield. In 1988 she became Archivist for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, a position she held until her retirement in 1998.

Sister Patricia Rumse, (Edward Patrice), 82, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 63^rd  year, died at Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, on  Sunday, December 26, 2010.  A native of Northampton, she was the daughter of Edward and Mary (Heinemeyer) Rumse.

Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from Sacred Heart Parish, Hopedale, Mass.  She was graduated from St. Mary High School, Milford, Mass.  She earned an A.B. degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, Mass., a Med. from Boston College and a C.A.G.S. from American International College, Springfield.

Sister ministered in the Diocese of Springfield as a teacher at St. Jerome School, Blessed Sacrament School and Holyoke Catholic High School, Holyoke; Our Lady of Hope School and Cathedral High School, Springfield.  She served on the staff of the Springfield Diocesan Schools Office as Reading Specialist and as Principal of Holy Name School and Holy Cross School, Springfield. She was a teacher in the Diocese of Providence at St. Joseph and St. Catherine’s Academy, Newport, RI. Sister retired to Mont Marie in 2005.

Sister Ruth O’Connor, (Miriam John), 84, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 67th year, died at Mont Marie on December 17^th, 2010. A native of West Springfield, Mass., she was the daughter of John and Lucy (Nalwalk) O’Connor.

Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from Immaculate Conception Parish, West Springfield.  She was graduated from Cathedral High School and earned an A.B. degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms and M.A. from St. Joseph College, Hartford, Ct.

Sister ministered in the Diocese of Springfield as a teacher at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, Holy Name School, Cathedral Grammar and Cathedral High School and as principal at St. Matthew School, all in Springfield. She served as teacher at St. Stephen, and St. Peter Schools, Worcester and at St. Catherine Academy, Newport, RI. She became a member of the retirement community at St. Joseph Residence, Mont Marie in 2007.