(1928-2025)

Sister Shirley Ann Cushing, formerly known as Sister Blanche Marie, died on Friday, July 18, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 97 years of age and in the 78th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Shirley was born in Detroit to Frank and Blanche (Réaume) Cushing. She graduated from St. Theresa High School in Detroit and received a bachelor’s degree in English from Siena Heights College (University), Adrian; a master’s degree in English from DePaul University, Chicago; and a master’s degree in religious education and a Doctor of Law degree, both from the University of Detroit (now University of Detroit Mercy).

Sister Shirley ministered in education for 20 years in Chicago and Oak Park, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Shaker Heights, Ohio; and Tokyo, Japan. She served three years as Postulant Mistress and three years as Juniorate Director for the Congregation. She served for one year as pastoral minister at St. Lawrence in Utica, Michigan, and seven years as the Adult Education Resource Director at St. Edmund in Warren, Michigan. 

Sister Shirley then served for seven years as a staff attorney in the senior unit for Lakeshore Legal Service, Inc. in Mount Clemens, Michigan, and seven years as the attorney manager for the legal program at Macomb County Department of Senior Services in Mount Clemens. She moved to the Dominican Life Center in 2021.

Sister Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, William Cushing and Father Frank Cushing; and her sisters, Dorothy Cushing, Mary Blanche Trudeau, and Sister Virginia Cushing, also an Adrian Dominican Sister. She is survived by other loving family members and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.

Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 24, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery. 

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

 

LEFT: 1945 graduate of St. Theresa High School, Detroit.  MIDDLE RIGHT: From left, siblings Sister Blanche Marie (Shirley) Cushing, Father Frank Cushing, and Sister William Francis (Virginia) Cushing. RIGHT: Sister Shirley prepares for her graduation from the University of Detroit Law School, May 13, 1984.

LEFT: From left, Sisters Anne Liam Lees, Shirley Cushing, Margaret Lane, and Arlene Kosmatka. RIGHT: Members of the 2016 Double-Diamond Jubilee Crowd are: back row, standing and sitting, from left, Sisters Sheila N. Flynn, Anne Bernadette Stein, Ann Romayne Fallon, Beverly McEachin, Patricia M. Martin, Shirley Ann Cushing, Joanne Patricia Gwizdala, Edith Kathleen Zemke, and Jean Fitzgerald, and front row, from left, Sisters Ann Patrice Remkus, Jean Irene McAllister, Winifred C. M. Lynch, Georgina Luznicky, and Marie Therese Emery.

LEFT: Sister Shirley visits a shop in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. MIDDLE LEFT: Sister Shirley stands in front of the Holy Cross Abbey, built in 1252 in Sligo, Ireland. MIDDLE RIGHT: Blood sisters Shirley (left) and Virginia Cushing. RIGHT: Sisters Shirley Cushing, left, and Virginia Cushing celebrate Christmas.

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(1931-2025)

Sister Charlotte Hoefer, formerly known as Sister Marie Josepha, died on July 16, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 93 years of age and in the 77th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Charlotte was born in Lafayette, Indiana, to Joseph and Marie (Reuter) Hoefer. She graduated from St. Joseph Academy in Adrian and received a bachelor’s degree in Latin from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian; a master’s degree in Latin from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.; and a Master of Theology degree in spiritual direction and a Master of Divinity degree in spirituality, both from Weston College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Sister ministered 24 years in elementary and secondary education in Chicago; Dearborn, Clawson, and Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Grafton, West Virginia; and Tampa and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She also served in various pastoral ministries for 40 years in Adrian, Detroit, and Dearborn Heights, Michigan, and Orlando, Florida. This included 35 years with the Dominican Center for Religious Development, which she co-founded and later served as director. 

Sister Charlotte became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in Adrian in 2016. She was preceded in death by her parents and two siblings, Rita de Raud and Joseph Hoefer, Jr. She is survived by her brother, Michael Hoefer; other loving family members; and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.  

Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, July 21, 2025, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. Monday, July 21, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery. 

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

 

MIDDLE LEFT: Sister Marie Josepha poses with her family at the time of her final profession in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1952. MIDDLE RIGHT: Sister Marie Josepha enjoys some horseback riding in Roy, New Mexico. RIGHT: Sisters Charlotte Hoefer, left, and Joanne Podlucky visit Sedona, Arizona, 2008.

LEFT: Charlotte, left, in eighth grade, with her blood sister Rita, seventh grade, attend the eighth-grade prom, Grosse Pointe, Michigan, 1940.

LEFT: Sister Charlotte in her teaching ministry, 1985. RIGHT: Members of the Dominican Center for Religious Development staff, circa 1995, are, from left, Sisters Maribeth Howell and Charlotte Hoefer, Rev. Victor Clore, and Sisters Carol Johannes and Rosemarie Kieffer. 

LEFT: Members of the 2007 Diamond Jubilee, February group are, back row, from left, Sisters Charlotte Hoefer, Marie Damian Schoenlein, Shirley Boettcher, and Patrice Eilers; middle row, from left, Sisters Anne Worcester, Elizabeth Condon, JoAnn Fleischaker, Eileen Meyers, Sarah Cavanaugh, and Mary Cecile Quirke; and front row, from left, Sisters Jacquelyn Murray, Catherine Podvin, Imelda Marie Eckhoff, Paul Emelia Brown, Noreen O’Connell, Elizabeth Williams, and Helene Dompierre. RIGHT: From left, Sisters Charlotte Hoefer, Maureen Comer, and Carol Fleming, May 2010.

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(1930-2025)

Sister Marion O’Connor, formerly known as Sister Ellen Michael O’Connor, died on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 95 years of age and in the 76th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Marion was born in Chicago to Jeremiah and Mary (Stack) O’Connor. She graduated from Aquinas High School in Chicago and received a bachelor’s degree in history from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian and a master’s degree in history from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

Sister ministered for seven years in education in Detroit and Lansing, Michigan. She then embarked on 54 years of teaching in Chicago, Hometown, and Wilmette, Illinois, including 48 years at Regina Dominican High School in Wilmette, a legacy institution of the Congregation. For 37 of her years at Regina Dominican, she was also a department chair and then was senior study moderator for five years. 

Sister Marion became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in 2017. She was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by loving cousins and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.

Visitation will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 17, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery. 

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

 

LEFT: Marion at about 6 months old. MIDDLE LEFT: 1948 graduate of Aquinas High School, Chicago. MIDDLE RIGHT: Sister Ellen Michael at her reception into the novitiate, with her parents, Jeremiah and Mary O'Connor. RIGHT: Entrance Day, 1948.

MIDDLE: Students at Aquinas High School, Chicago, during the 1947-1948 school year are, from left, Marion O’Connor (the future Sister Ellen Michael), Ann Elizabeth (the future Sister Thomas James) Burns, Sister Francis Gerald Broderick, Therese (the future Sister Thomas Frances) DeCanio, and Mary Ann Levento. RIGHT: Sister Marion with her cousin, Father Edward Fitzgerald, celebrant of the Mass celebrating Sister Marion’s Silver Jubilee. 

LEFT: Sister Marion works with a student from Regina Dominican High School. RIGHT: Members of the 2008 Diamond Jubilee Crowd are, back row, from left, Sisters Nora Brady, Marie Geraldine Brownell, Celestine Dunne, Alice Riegel, Patricia Wiley, John Norton Barrett, Mary Schmagner, and Therese DeCanio, and front row, from left, Sisters Mary Helen Mack, Joan Sopha, Mary E. Quinn, Dorothy Thielk, Margaret Urban, Patricia Ann Hurley, Marion O’Connor, and Judith Singer. 

LEFT: Enjoying time together on Marco Island, Florida, in June 2001 are, from left, Sisters Sarah Cavanaugh, Marie Bride Walsh, and Marion O’Connor. RIGHT: Sister Marion, center, with her cousins, from left, Celeste King, Brendan Hurling, Elizabeth King, and Michael Malone, attend the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Regina Dominican High School.

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(1955 - 2025)

Associate Gerene Starratt, known as Gerry, died on June 29, 2025, at home in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the age of 70 following a brief battle with cancer.

Gerry was born on April 6, 1955, in Dolton, Illinois, to Chris and Dolores Konow. She was the couple’s first child, followed 13 months later by a brother, Chris.

Her father was a veteran of the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. Much of his enlistment was spent aboard the aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge as an ordnanceman, a job which included having to clear the deck of the bombs that occasionally fell off the fighter planes as they landed. Gerry wrote in her autobiography, “His job was to run onto the deck, pick up the bomb, unscrew the detonator, and throw it overboard.”

When he came home from Korea, he got a job with Illinois Bell and would remain with the various iterations of the phone company for the rest of his working life. Dolores was a stay-at-home mom when the couple’s children were young, later working as an elementary school secretary and then establishing a small bookkeeping business.

After the legendary January 1967 blizzard that unexpectedly dumped almost two feet of snow on the Chicago area in 29 hours’ time, Chris and Dolores became determined never to spend another winter in the snow and moved the family to Florida, where they settled in Fort Pierce.

It was there that, a few years later, Gerry met the man who became her best friend and the love of her life, Christopher, or Kit as he is better known. The couple married in 1974 and went on to have three children, sons Lane and Ian and daughter Valerie.

Kit’s connection to the Adrian Dominicans began in kindergarten at St. Anastasia School in Fort Pierce and continued throughout elementary school and all the way through his years at John Carroll High School. His family was active in St. Anastasia Parish and, when Gerry and Kit first began dating, Mass there was her introduction to the Catholic faith. She had been baptized in the Holland Reformed Church, which her family attended regularly in Chicago, but once they moved to Florida, they did not become affiliated with a church although Gerry went to various churches with friends as the opportunity presented itself.

The first time she attended Mass with Kit, however, “it felt like I had come home,” she wrote in her autobiography. The couple were married at St. Anastasia, and she was confirmed in the faith when their first child was baptized. Both her parents later became Catholic as well.

Gerry and Kit moved to several locations around the U.S. over the years for education and employment. One of their stops was Pittsburgh, where Gerry began her college studies in earnest. She had completed a year at community college after high school, but then marriage, work, and motherhood became her focus for several years. Then, with Kit as her role model, she enrolled at Chatham College (now Chatham University) and completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Later, she received her Ph.D. in experimental cognitive psychology at Florida Atlantic University.

Kit became a member of the psychology faculty at Barry College (now Barry University) in 1993, and Gerry joined him there in 2000. She left in 2005 to become an education researcher for the Broward County Public Schools. She returned to Barry in 2011 to teach education research in the Adrian Dominican School of Education and remained there until her retirement.

Being at Barry brought the couple back into contact with the Adrian Dominicans, and in 2016 they both became Associates. 

Gerry was very involved in Associate Life. She also lived out her commitment to the Congregation’s Enactments in many ways, including assisting with Barry’s environmental stewardship efforts and accompanying Barry students to Adrian for the annual Environmental Leadership Experience program. 

She wrote in her autobiography that she viewed her role at Barry as a ministry, because her work helped equip future education researchers to address the problems in U.S. education that often result from inequity, and because, as a first-generation college student herself, she could help young people in that situation overcome obstacles.

In her and Kit’s parish, St. Jerome in Fort Lauderdale, she played a very active role, singing in the Chancel Choir (along with Kit); being part of the Women’s Emmaus ministry, including as a retreat leader; and at one time serving as president of the Home and School Association and as secretary and then president of the School Advisory Board.

Gerry retired from Barry in 2020 but continued to teach as an adjunct faculty member and remained involved with life at the university for as long as she could.

Barry’s statement upon her death included these words:

Dr. Starratt was known for her intellect, grace, and genuine care for the growth and development of her students and colleagues alike.

Dr. Starratt shared a life of service in education and faith with her husband, Dr. Christopher “Kit” Starratt, who also served the Barry University community and retired after 27 years of dedicated leadership. Together, Drs. Gerry and Kit Starratt were Adrian Dominican Associates, a reflection of their deep alignment with the mission and values of the Adrian Dominican Sisters and Barry University.

… Her contributions will remain a lasting part of Barry’s history and spirit.