(1943-2026)

Kathleen M. Woods, aged 82, died on August 1, 2026.

She was born on December 23, 1943 in Chicago, a daughter of Joseph P. Woods and Gertrude C. Carey. Known as Kathy or Kate, she was the dear sister of Jerome P. Woods, of Evanston, Illinois; the late James C. Woods; Mary Joann Reedy (David), of Williamsburg, Virginia; and Robert M. Woods (Amy), of Fergus Falls, Minnesota. She was the much-loved Aunt Kate of Emily Woods Sternberg, Kathleen Woods Balthrop, James C. Reedy, Patrick J. Woods, Molly Reedy Kling, Robert A. Woods and Anastasia Woods Young, as well as a most special “GrAunt Kate” to fifteen great-nieces and nephews.

Kate received a Bachelor of Science from Siena Heights College, and a Masters in Clinical Social Work from Wayne State University. Science and psychology framed her career and formed her passions for improving health care, enhancing individual growth, and supporting community development and responsibility.

After working with students as an elementary and secondary science teacher early in her career, Kate was inspired to pursue a degree in clinical social work. She supported oncology patients and provided staff training and education as a social worker at the University of Chicago Medical School, before joining Illinois Masonic Hospital in 1981.

At Illinois Masonic, Kate had several roles. She was Director of the Home Health and Hospice Program, establishing one of the nation’s first inpatient hospice units, before becoming Director of Education for the Hospital. Throughout, hospice remained the core of Kate’s commitment; she continued to work in paid and volunteer positions at hospice organizations, including JourneyCare, well into her retirement years. In her spare time, she provided support to individuals and families in her psychotherapy practice.

Fifteen years ago, Kate traveled to St. Clare’s Orphanage in Kenya, a trip sponsored by the Friends of Kenyan Orphans, which introduced her to a young girl, Odelia Wowu, who became her “adopted daughter.” Kate continued to support the organization’s charitable mission to educate young women of Kenya for the rest of her life.

Recently, Kate channeled her lifelong interests into working with the Adrian Dominican Sisters to advance wider social goals of corporate responsibility and justice. She was an integral force in future planning through the Dominican Life Collaborative initiative.

Kate was deeply loved and valued by siblings, nieces and nephews, cousins, and her extended family. She was a good and loyal friend who devoted her life to improving the lives of individuals and communities.

From childhood, she was smart and funny – which sometimes got her into trouble! In the tradition of Irish storytellers, she spun a saga for two generations of spellbound nieces and nephews, and created new chapters – a child’s version of “Dynasty” meets “The Hobbit” – at family gatherings over many years.

She loved to travel and especially enjoyed time over the years at a series of vacation cottages in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, which she freely shared with loved ones. And of course, she was a lifelong, spirited, and very boisterous fan of the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

Donations in Kate’s memory may be made to the Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI 49221 for the benefit of the Dominican Life Collaborative/Kathleen M. Woods Fund and to Friends of Kenyan Orphans, 18640 Mack Ave. Suite 1294, Grosse Pointe, MI 48236.

A celebration of her life will be held at a later time.

 

(1941-2026)

As the hands of God, the sacred potter, mold and shape who we are, so too Kathleen molded, shaped and enlightened our minds and spirits as we stood before her soft, reflective artwork in pictures and note cards, calling us into her world of creativity. The French novelist Marcel Proust wrote, “Only through art can we get outside of ourselves and know another’s view of the universe.” Kathleen gave us that view because she gave of herself.

In her homily preached at Sister Kathleen Voss’s funeral, Sister Patty Harvat was honoring a talented artist whose creative endeavors included acrylic and oil painting, calligraphy, photography, and even digital artwork – and who, in her ministry as a mental health therapist, knew how to find the beautiful “art” which lay under a person’s exterior self.

Kathleen was born on March 9, 1941, in Detroit to Henry and Shirley (Mallis) Voss. She had three older siblings, Sally, Dan, and Diane, and two younger ones, Paul, born four years after her, and Tim, born six years after Paul and “frequently referred to as ‘Tiny Tim,’” she wrote in her autobiography.

Henry was born in Chicago, but after his mother died his father moved the family to Detroit, while Shirley was born in Ontario, Canada, and adopted by a couple living in the U.S.

Henry was mechanically gifted and grew up to become first a typesetter for a print shop and then a toolmaker. “He also was one who loved to do ‘spontaneous’ things with his family, which created more than one funny story,” Sister Kathleen wrote in her autobiography – although she did not elaborate further.

Shirley was in poor health for much of her life and even became bedridden at one point, but when she was able to, she could play the piano and the organ by ear and loved to sing. “She sang throughout the day while doing her housework or cooking our meal,” Sister Kathleen wrote. “Her singing constantly gave me great delight. She had a great sense of humor and always enjoyed having laughs with the family.”

Read more about Sister Kathleen (PDF)

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI, 49221. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Anderson-Marry Funeral Services, Adrian.

Sister's Memorial Card (PDF)

 

Vigil and Funeral Recordings

Note: To view recordings with closed captioning, they must be viewed on our public video library rather than through the links below.

Recording of Sister Kathleen's Vigil Service - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

Recording of Sister Kathleen's Funeral Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

Leave your comments and remembrances – if you don't see the comment box below, click on the "Read More" link.

(1938-2026)

In the early twentieth century, tiny Corunna, Michigan, and the surrounding area became home to many Czech immigrants for whom the rural setting and climate reminded them of their homeland.

Among those settlers were the Marsik and Pelikan families. Frantisek (Frank) Marsik was born in Bohemia and came to this country with his family when he was about a year and a half old. After living first in Minnesota and then in North Dakota, the Marsiks arrived in Corunna in 1920.

That same year the Pelikans, originally of Moravia, moved to Corunna from Iowa, where three children had been born, including their oldest, Frances.

With Corunna’s thriving Czech community being very tight-knit, it was only a matter of time before Frank and Frances’ paths crossed. They married in 1933 and moved to nearby Flint, Michigan, where Frank worked for the Buick division of General Motors.

In time, the couple had three children, all of whom were actually born in the Owosso hospital so that Frances could be near her family. First, in 1934, came Frank, then Vlasti (the future Sister Christa) on February 4, 1938, and finally Joseph in 1939.

Disliking city life, when an opportunity arose in 1942 to move back to Corunna the family did so. The children all attended Corunna Public School, but when young Frank needed to repeat eighth grade, he chose to attend St. Paul School in Owosso so as to have a different teacher, and when he remained at St. Paul for high school his siblings followed suit.

There, the children were taught by Adrian Dominican Sisters, and Vlasti soon knew she wanted to enter the Congregation after graduation. As that time neared in 1955, however, she realized that her dream was not going to materialize because of opposition from her parents, who did not want their only daughter going off to what her father termed “like a prison.”

So, she undertook what she, in her autobiography, called “my next best solution”: she enrolled at Siena Heights College (later University) so she could be near the Motherhouse and, she hoped, make the transition to religious life easier for her parents. Her intent was to enter the Congregation in short order – but she discovered she liked college life and remained at Siena Heights all four years, earning her bachelor’s degree in Latin.

Read more about Sister Christa (PDF)

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI, 49221. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Anderson-Marry Funeral Services, Adrian.

Sister's Memorial Card (PDF)

Vigil and Funeral Recordings

Note: To view recordings with closed captioning, they must be viewed on our public video library rather than through the links below.

Recording of Sister Christa's Vigil Service - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

Recording of Sister Christa's Funeral Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

Leave your comments and remembrances – if you don't see the comment box below, click on the "Read More" link.

(1939-2026)

Fran was involved in some way in many of the Adrian Dominican ministries. She was constantly reaching out to others – always giving of herself in whatever way she could or was called to. Even with our crowd, she was the first to gather us for a party to celebrate birthdays or just to get together. Fran was a very happy person who lived life and someone you wanted to be with.

In the homily she preached for Sister Fran Lombaer’s memorial Mass, Sister Joella Miller was describing a woman whose ministries had encompassed teaching (including two years at a school in South Africa), administration, tutoring at the prison in Adrian, serving on the Congregation’s Portfolio Advisory Board and as Congregational Archivist, and much more.

Sister Fran was born in Chicago on August 18, 1939, to Francis and Virginia (Seidensticker) Lombaer. Although she was baptized Helen Frances, she was always known simply as Fran. She was the couple’s middle child, following Kathryn and preceding Francis, whom the family called Budd.

The elder Francis was drafted into the Navy during World War II and served in the Pacific for eighteen months before contracting a tropical infection and being medically discharged. In civilian life, he was an electrician for Illinois Bell for forty-seven years. As for Virginia, she worked part-time jobs while Fran was in elementary school and then spent twenty years as a clerk in the Chicago Public School System.

Fran’s introduction to the Adrian Dominican Sisters came at St. Philip Neri School, and the Sisters taught at Aquinas Dominican High School as well. “An eager student, I loved school and thrived on learning,” she wrote in her autobiography. She also participated in many school activities, including, at Aquinas, playing drums and then cello in the orchestra and being part of the sodality (a pious organization devoted to Mary), where she was elected an officer.

Read more about Sister Frances (PDF)

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI, 49221. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Anderson-Marry Funeral Services, Adrian.

Sister's Memorial Card (PDF)

Vigil and Funeral Recordings

Note: To view recordings with closed captioning, they must be viewed on our public video library rather than through the links below.

Recording of Sister Fran's Vigil Service - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

Recording of Sister Fran's Funeral Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

Leave your comments and remembrances – if you don't see the comment box below, click on the "Read More" link.