Sister Mary Dolores ND 4532 PDF Download
(formerly Sister Mary Charles Ann)
Dolores Anna STANKO
Immaculate Conception Province, USA
Date and Place of Birth: October 8, 1932 Cleveland, Ohio
Date and Place of Profession: August 16, 1953 Cleveland, Ohio
Date and Place of Death: December 26, 2021 Health Care Center, Chardon, Ohio
Date and Place of Funeral: January 5, 2022 Provincial Center, Chardon, Ohio
Date and Place of Burial: January 6, 2022 Resurrection Cemetery, Chardon, Ohio
“God’s Love is Everlasting!”
Dolores Anna was the first of two daughters born to Charles and Anna (Sotak) Stanko. She and her sister, Mary Jane, spent their early years living in multi-generational, multi-family homes characterized by faith, hard work and care for others. She attended St. Benedict School in Cleveland where she first met the Sisters of Notre Dame. “I always liked school,” she noted, “ probably because God made studying easy for me.” High school years at Notre Dame Academy, Cleveland, provided opportunities to explore a wide range of subjects, especially math and science—in which she excelled. The example and goodness of her teachers prompted her to say, “I always wanted to be a Sister ever since I could remember.” Dolores became a postulant on September 8, 1950. At investment she received the name Sister Mary Charles Ann, in honor of her parents.
Sister Mary Dolores continued her studies, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio, and a Master of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. For twenty-six years, she ministered as a secondary school teacher at ten different high schools in Ohio. Sister’s background in the sciences led to a keen interest in environmental studies; expertise in math brought her to the forefront of computer technology. Her students were exposed to many diverse topics in the world of science!
After leaving the formal classroom setting, Sister used her skills as an editorial assistant to a team of sisters who authored high school religion books and then, most notably, as an assistant in the province secretarial office for twenty-seven years. She had already begun to explore all aspects of computer technology. Her attention to the research needed to assure accuracy in the smallest detail was appreciated and respected—but sometimes her thorough explanations exceeded the sisters’ comprehension!
For many years, Sister Mary Dolores traveled to parishes to speak about our Notre Dame Missions in India and Africa. She devoted personal time to learning Spanish and participated in an immersion experience in Mexico. Sister was an avid gardener, and spent many hours, sometimes toward late evening, tending to her organic grow boxes which yielded prize tomatoes and strawberries.
Sister’s many gifts were freely shared with others, expressing God’s grace and energy at work within. The past several years marked a decline in Sister’s health and in her ability to communicate clearly. We are grateful for the gift of her life among us. May she rest in the eternal life and light of our good and loving God.
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