(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)

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.

 

(1934-2025)

Sister Joanne Wimmer, formerly known as Sister James Alice Wimmer, died on Sunday, June 29, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 90 years of age and in the 64th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Joanne was born in Des Moines, Iowa, to James and Alice (Malone) Wimmer. She graduated from St. Joseph Academy in Des Moines, Iowa, and received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian and a Master of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. 

Sister Joanne spent 6½ years ministering as an elementary teacher in Paw Paw, Michigan, and Chicago and Joliet, Illinois. She was an auditor for four years for Arthur Anderson & Co., Chicago, and a cost accountant for one year at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, also in Chicago. She served in the finance office as auditor and chief accountant for seven years at St. Rose De Lima Hospital in Henderson, Nevada, and as senior financial analyst for 19 years at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, California, both legacy institutions of the Congregation. Sister Joanne also ministered for the Congregation in Adrian for five years in the Finance and Information offices and was administrative assistant for six years at the Dominican West Chapter Office in San Francisco, California. 

Sister Joanne became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in Adrian in 2015. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Susan Mimick. Sister is survived by a brother, James (Nan) Wimmer, other loving family members, and her Adrian Dominican Sisters. 

Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery. 

Those not attending services in person are welcome to participate via live stream at https://adriandominicans.org/Live-Stream.

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

 

LEFT: Joanne with her mother Alice. MIDDLE LEFT: Joanne at the age of 5. MIDDLE RIGHT: Joanne, standing, left, with her mother Alice, brother James, and little sister Susan. RIGHT: Joanne with her father James during his time in the Navy.

MIDDLE: Sister Joanne Wimmer in her graduation photo from St. Joseph Academy in Des Moines, Iowa, 1952. RIGHT: Members of the Alavida Mission Group meeting in Santa Cruz, California in 2004, are: standing, from left, Sisters Judith Benkert, Carolyn Roeber, Corinne Florek, Mary Ellen Leciejewski, and Ann Marie Wood, and seated, from left, Sisters Claudia Morgan, Judy Rimbey, Joanne Wimmer, and Virginia King.

RIGHT: Members of the 2010 Golden Jubilee June 1960 Crowd are: back row, from left, Sisters Patricia Fischer, Joann Plumpe, Barbara Jean Quincey, Joanne Wimmer, Anita Chiappetta, June Mary Deswysen, and Mary Helen Smolbrook; middle row, from left, Sisters Diane Pitera, Patricia Benson, Joanne Peters, Mary Katherine Homan, Grace Gianella, Kathleen Erard, Catherine Ormond Olds, and Helen Faiver; and front row, from left, Sisters Mary Elizabeth Gaiss, Joan Lawrence Sustersic, Juliann Flynn, Susan Marie Ouwerkerk, Maryetta Churches, Janet Marie Fulgenzi, Patricia Erickson, and Donna Markham (Prioress). Not pictured is Sister Ann Rena Shinkey.

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(1934-2025)

Sister Janet Kubiak, formerly known as Sister Christine Thomas Kubiak, died on Sunday, June 29, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 90 years of age and in the 72nd year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Janet was born in Detroit to Frank and Clara (Fitch) Kubiak. She graduated from Dominican High School in Detroit and received a bachelor’s degree in English from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian. 

Sister Janet spent 32 years ministering in elementary and high school education in Escanaba, Michigan; Chicago and Riverdale, Illinois; and Des Moines and West Des Moines, Iowa. She ministered for nine years as an education/financial aid counselor at the Higher Education Center in Des Moines and for two years in admission/outpatient testing at Mercy Hospital, also in Des Moines. 

Sister Janet became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in 2022. She was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings: George, Stanley, John, Frank, and Thomas Kubiak; Marion Gee, Cecilia Zack, and Verna Moran. Sister Janet 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 2, 2025, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 3, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery. 

Those not attending services in person are welcome to participate via live stream at https://adriandominicans.org/Live-Stream.

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 Janet'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 Janet'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 Christine Thomas with her mother, Clara Kubiak. RIGHT: Sister Janet at her ministry site, Mercy Hospital in Iowa, where she served in Admissions, 1997-1999.

LEFT: Sister Janet with her companion. RIGHT: Crowd members gather: from left, Sisters Frances Madigan, Loretta Sinn, Marguerite Renuart, Janet Kubiak, and Arlene Marie Kosmatka.  

LEFT: Sister Janet Kubiak celebrates her Golden Jubilee, 2002. RIGHT: Members of the 2002 Golden Jubilee Crowd are, back row, from left, Sisters Janet Kubiak, Reta Drexler, Maureen Fay, Carolyn Nelson, Ursula Ording, Frances Madigan, Marguerite Renuart, Arlene Marie Kosmatka, and Dorothy Booms; middle row, from left, Sisters Lorraine Sinn, Joann Weigang, Lorraine Pepin, Patricia Caulfield, Margaret Foley, Maria Riley, and Maureen Keeler; and front row, from left, Sisters Cora Marie Campbell, Ann Kelly, Anne Cenci, Lois Mary Rochon, Margaret Richard Pillon, Magdalena Ezoe, and Kathryn Hartnett.

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