Sister Sheila McGuirk (Frances Edward), 69, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, died in Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, Mass. on January 2, 2014. A native of Worcester, she was the daughter of Edward and Frances (O’Connor) McGuirk. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from St. Peter Parish, Worcester in 1964.
Sister Sheila was graduated from St. Peter High School, Worcester and earned a B.A. degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, Mass. and certification in Clinical Pastoral Education from Danvers State Hospital.
Sister ministered to residents in several facilities including Mont Marie, Holyoke; Mercy Hospital, Springfield; Falls Nursing Home, South Hadley; Beaven-Kelly Home, Holyoke; and Spruce Manor Nursing Home and Providence Home Care. She also served at Jericho in Holyoke, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield and The Open Window, Chicopee. From 1971-76 Sr. Sheila had the rank of Airman Basic in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, serving in the medical dispensary at Barnes Municipal Airport, Westfield, Mass.
In addition to her Sisters in community she is survived by many loving cousins.