Sister Mary Patrice

Sister  Mary  Patrice              ND  4536              PDF Download
(formerly, Sister Mary Jean Patrice)
Janet DAVIS

Christ the King Province, Chardon, Ohio, USA

Date and Place of Birth:        July 29, 1933        Cleveland, Ohio
Date and Place of Profession: August 16, 1953     Cleveland, Ohio
Date and Place of Death:       October 8, 2016      Health Care Center, Chardon
Date and Place of Funeral:     October 14, 2016     Provincial Center,Chardon,Ohio
Date and Place of Burial:      October 14, 2016    Resurrection Cemetery, Chardon, Ohio

Janet was the only child of Patrick and Frances (Rounds) Davis. Soon after her birth, the family moved to a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she spent the first eleven years of life. She attended St.Francis de Sales School, staffed by the Dominican Sisters. She was always grateful to the sisters for her preparation and reception of First Holy Communion. When the family moved back to Cleveland, Janet continued her education at St. Peter School, staffed by the Sisters of Notre Dame. The Sisters made her feel so welcome that she quickly grew to love her new school and told her eighth grade teacher that she wanted to become a Sister like her. Janet was accepted as an aspirant with the Sisters of Notre Dame and attended Notre Dame Academy. Although she found it very hard to leave home, thinking her parents would be lonely without her, they supported her in the initial steps toward answering God’s call. Janet entered as a postulant on February 2, 1951.

She received the name Sister Mary Jean Patrice at investment and was happy to have the same patron as her father, Patrick. Later she became known as Sister Mary Patrice. Sister received her bachelor’s degree in education from St. John College, Cleveland, Ohio,and earned a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota. Sister Mary Patrice was a highly dedicated and professional educator. During her forty-six years of ministry in the classroom and six years as principal, Sister was known for her ability to reach the needs of individual students, especially those who may have had difficulty learning. She was firm but fair, and students who wanted to achieve preferred to be in her class. Sister was a master teacher, thorough, organized and loyal, sometimes impatient with adults, but not with the students. She was an inservice instructor for beginning sixth grade teachers in the Diocese of Cleveland and tireless in her efforts to bring out the best.

When Sister Mary Patrice retired from teaching, she spent several years assisting in the Provincial Secretarial Office and in the mail room. As she began to experience memory loss, Sister became a resident in our Health Care Center. Daily Mass and reception of the Eucharist remained important and precious to her. She wanted to be reminded of the time so she could be present to pray. Sister never lost her Irish sense of humor and wit,as well as her love for sweet treats and animals, especially dogs.

May Sister Mary Patrice now experience the loving embrace of God, companionship with Jesus the Master Teacher, and the reunion with her beloved mother and father. May she enjoy God’s unconditional, limitless love for all eternity!