Sister Elizabeth Marie ND 4943 PDF Download
(formerly Sister Thomas Marie)
Elizabeth Ruth SCANLON
Immaculate Conception Province, USA
Date and Place of Birth: April 2, 1936 Cleveland, Ohio
Date and Place of Profession: August 16, 1956 Cleveland, Ohio
Date and Place of Death: July 14, 2025 Health Care Center, Chardon, Ohio
Date and Place of Burial: July 24, 2025 Resurrection Cemetery, Chardon
Betty Ruth was the first child and only girl born to Thomas and Marie (Grady) Scanlon. She and her two younger brothers had a happy childhood and grew up spoiled with love. Home was a lively place where family was treasured; the strong bonds formed in these early years lasted throughout life. They celebrated, appreciated and were proud of their Irish heritage. Her father, a conductor on the New York Central Railroad, died suddenly in 1944; Betty always valued the deep faith and strength of both her parents. In 1950 she traveled to Notre Dame Academy in Cleveland for high school. As a junior, she realized that “If God and I both wanted a thing there was no such word as impossible.” Convinced that she could best please God by choosing religious life, she became a postulant in February of her senior year. At investment she chose the name Sister Thomas Marie.
Sister Elizabeth Marie received both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from St. John College in Cleveland. She taught primary grades for thirty years in parish schools in Greater Cleveland and Northern Virginia. Preparing children for the reception of the sacraments was a joy and a privilege. In 1988 Sister became a tutor for children who required additional support in basic skills. She had a great willingness to help each child succeed and was creative in finding advanced work or further remediation. Her proficiency in using technology for research and communication was key to faculty development. Sister Elizabeth Marie earned gratitude and respect from students, faculty and parents.
In 2003 Sister Elizabeth Marie returned to Chardon and remained involved with sisters in community and the larger civic community. She assisted in the library and tutored at the SND Legacy Project in Cleveland. For six years she volunteered at the Diocesan Refugee and Migration Office; her outreach to others was significant and valued. Sister was delighted to use her ever-growing computer skills to help other sisters and to maintain contact with her family and many friends.
Sister Elizabeth Marie met multiple health issues with courage and determination. She had a child-like curiosity and always wanted to know “why.” Each day she read to a sister who had lost her eyesight. Her hearing loss did not slow her desire to connect with those around her. In these last years, Sister never ran out of ways to be engaged with life. She had time for prayer, meaningful conversation and discussion, word games and her favorite, reading. Sister Elizabeth Marie went home to God quietly and peacefully. We are grateful for the gift she was to us. May she rest in peace.
