Previous Obituaries

Sister Mary Thomas Byrne, RSM

Sister Mary Thomas Byrne, RSM

Brooklyn — Sister Mary Thomas Byrne, 96, a Sister of Mercy of the Americas Mid-Atlantic Community, died August 7 at the Convent of Mercy here.
Sister Thomas entered the Sisters of Mercy on August 15, 1931; her ministry was education. Her first assignment was at St. Mary’s Home, Syosset (1931-34). She was principal of Our Lady of Peace School in Lynbrook (1963-69) and then taught for many years at Holy Trinity Diocesan High School, Hicksville (1969-93).
She also served in the Brooklyn Diocese at St. Agatha’s (1934-38), St. Brigid’s (1938-45), and at Catherine McAuley H.S. (1945-63).
Her funeral Mass was celebrated at the Convent of Mercy August 11; internment followed at Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn.

Deacon John Weigel

Deacon John Weigel

Seaford — Deacon John (Jack) Weigel, who served at Maria Regina in Seaford since 1979, died August 11 after a long illness.
Deacon Weigel, 76, was ordained in the diocese’s first class of permanent deacons June 9, 1979 by Bishop John R. McGann.
Always active in parish ministry, Deacon Weigel developed the baptism preparation program at Maria Regina, brought Communion to the sick, was involved in the Antioch youth program and prepared couples for marriage. As someone who enjoyed cooking, he happily made pancakes for the parish’s annual pancake breakfast.
The Mass of Transferral was celebrated on Wednesday evening, August 13 by Msgr. Peter J. Pflomm, pastor of Maria Regina, and concelebrated by Bishop John C. Dunne, episcopal vicar of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Deacon Gerald F. Whitfield gave the homily. Msgr. Pflomm celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial August 14 at Maria Regina Church, followed by burial at St. Charles Cemetery.
Deacon Weigel served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is survived by Claire, his wife of 56 years; his children Claire Bennett, Diane Byrnes, Susan Behrens, John G., Fred, Noreen Catanuto and Mary Catherine; by 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and his brother, Frederick.

Sister Lorette Chamberland, D.W.

Sister Lorette Chamberland, D.W.

Islip — Daughter of Wisdom Sister Lorette Chamberland, 91, died July 25 at Maria Regina Residence in Brentwood. A native of St. Agatha, Maine, she took the religious name of Sister Marie Olivier and made her first profession of vows as a Daughter of Wisdom in Ottawa, Canada, in 1936.
In New York, she served as a cook at St. Charles Hospital, Port Jefferson (1937-1944) and St. Charles, Brooklyn (1944-1957), and offered community service and visitation of the sick at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Convent, Sound Beach (1971-1976).
She also served as a cook for many years in Maine and Connecticut. She provided home visitations and volunteer service at Our Lady of Wisdom in her hometown in Maine, and as a researcher for the town’s historical society as part of the Senior Community Service Project sponsored by the University of Maine.
In 2002, she retired to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Convent, Sound Beach, and in 2005, because of failing health, she moved to Maria Regina Resi-dence, Brentwood, where she resided at the time of her death.
Her funeral Mass was celebrated July 29 at St. Louis de Montfort Church, Sound Beach with burial at Holy Sepulchre, Coram.

Sister Anne Phillips, RSM

Sister Anne Phillips, RSM

Brooklyn — Sister Anne Phillips, a Sister of Mercy of the Americas Mid-Atlantic Com-munity, died July 23 at Maria Regina Residence, Brentwood. Sister Anne (formerly Sister Mary Leo) was 88 years old. She entered the Sisters of Mercy on September 8, 1939.
She was a teacher, serving locally at St. Patrick, Bay Shore (1945-1946 and 1959-1960); Mercy High School, Riverhead (1961-1968); and Holy Trinity Diocesan High School, Hicks-ville (1968-1980). She also served in the Brooklyn Diocese at St. Thomas Aquinas, Holy Rosary, St. Gregory, St. Jerome, and Sacred Heart.
Sister Anne then worked as a fiscal assistant at St. Mary’s Children & Family Services in Syosset from 1980 to 1993. She retired in 1993, residing at Holy Trinity Convent, Hicksville, and the Convent of Mercy in Brooklyn.
Sister Anne is survived by a sister, Sister Helen Phillips of Maryknoll, her brothers Edward and Robert Phillips and her sisters Margaret and Patricia Phillips.
Her funeral Mass was celebrated at the Convent of Mercy here, followed by interment at St. Charles Cemetery in Farming-dale.

Sister Regina Therese Walsh

Wellesley Hills, Mass. — Sister Regina Therese Walsh, 92 and a Sister of Charity of Halifax for 72 years, died July 26.
She taught at St. Barnabas the Apostle School, Bellmore, from 1936-1948. She also served in the Brooklyn Diocese and in New Jersey, Washington, Massa-chusetts, Nova Scotia and British Columbia, Canada.
Her funeral Mass was offered July 30 at Mt. St. Vincent Chapel here.
Burial was in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Needham, Mass.
Her survivors include her nieces Rosemary McCarthy and Virginia Bomford, and her nephew John Walsh.

Deacon Andrew M. Schneider

Deacon Andrew M. Schneider

Northport — Deacon Andrew M. Schneider, 81, who served at St. Philip Neri Church here, died July 8.

Ordained to the diaconate Feb. 19, 1983 by Bishop John McGann, Deacon Schneider performed weddings, baptisms, and wake services and coordinated the lectors of the parish, until his retirement from active ministry in 2005. He was known for his dedication in working with lectors to prepare them to proclaim the word.
He was active in visiting hospitals, nursing homes and prisons.

When physical limitations required that he and his wife, Mary Ann, spend their winters in Florida, Deacon Schneider held Communion services in two nursing homes, was a member of a bereavement committee and the “Christ Renews His Parish” team.

Deacon Schneider served in the U.S. Navy in World War II and Korea. From 1971 until 1994, he served as a veterans’ counselor. An aerospace engineer, he taught technical courses for the State University of New York, C. W. Post College and the Grumman Training Institute.

The Mass of Transferral was celebrated July 13th by Father Peter Garry, pastor of St. Philip Neri Church. Deacon Schneider’s classmate, Deacon John Sullivan gave the homily, and Deacon James Murphy, director of deacon personnel for the diocese, spoke in praise of him and his wife.

The funeral Mass was celebrated July 14 by Msgr. Thomas J. Colgan, former pastor of the parish. Burial was at St. Philip Neri Parish Cemetery. Deacon Schneider is predeceased by his son, Kenneth, and is survived by his wife, Mary Anne, son, Mark and by his sisters-in-law, Madeline McMahon, Kathleen Gillis, Dorothy Schneider and Ruth Schneider, as well as by many nieces and nephews.

Sister M. Regina Barrett, IHM

Sister M. Regina Barrett, IHM

Scranton, Pa. — Sister M. Regina Barrett, IHM, of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Sunday, July 13, 2008 at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton. She had taught at St. Raymond’s School, East Rockaway, from 1961 to 1967.

Born in 1925, she entered the IHM Congregation on February 2, 1944, professing her final vows August 2, 1949. She received a bachelor of arts degree in education from Marywood College and a master of education degree in psychology of reading from Temple University.

Sister Regina taught in a number of elementary schools in Pennsylvania and Maryland, as well as at St. Raymond’s. She was director of the Early Childhood Center at Marywood College from 1971 to 1995 and also served on the faculty in the Education Department at Marywood from 1971 to 1998. From 1998 to 2003, she was an instructor at the IHM Educational Enrichment Institute in Scranton.
From 2003 until the time of her death, Sister Regina was a prayer minister at the Marian Convent and Our Lady of Peace Residence here.

She was preceded in death by a brother, Louis, and a sister, Aloise Barrett McNulty.

She is survived by nephews and nieces and her lifelong friend, Patricia Leamy, of Lake Ariel, Pa.

A Mass of Christian Burial was to be celebrated Wednesday, July 16, at Our Lady of Peace Residence here.

Sister Frances Marie Casteran, CSJ Sister Frances Marie Casteran, CSJ

Brentwood — Sister Frances Marie Casteran, 91, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood since 1979 after her transfer from Visitation Monas-tery in Brooklyn, died April 10 at Maria Regina Residence here.

She graduated from Hunter College in 1943 and worked at an Army base in Brooklyn as a junior engineer, testing data computers for submarine gunnery, and later in public relations.

At the age of 30, she entered the Visitation Monastery in Brooklyn where she served for 22 years. She earned a certificate in theological studies from Loyola University in Chicago and did graduate work in theology at Wheeling College, the Seminary Residence of the Immaculate Conception in Doug-laston, and Fordham University. She received an M.S. in pastoral counseling from Iona College and pursued post-graduate work in psychology at St. John’s University. She was superior of the community at Visitation.

After prayerful discernment, she transferred to the Congre-gation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, where she worked in the field of pastoral ministry. She became a certified chaplain at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Astoria (1982-1997) and St. Patrick’s, Bay Shore (1980-1982). In 2001, because of failing health, she retired to Maria Regina Resi-dence.

She is survived by several grandnieces, Patti Boone, Danielle and Michelle Fitch, and her grandnephews. Her funeral Mass at Maria Regina Chapel here April 15 was followed by interment in Calvary Cemetery here.

Sister Madeline Cavanagh, r.c.

Ronkonkoma — Religious of the Cenacle Sister Madeline Cav-anagh died June 13 at Maria Regina Residence in Brentwood. She was 85.

She entered the congregation in March 1950. Her primary ministry was religious education and her passion was Scripture. At the Ronkonkoma Cenacle, she led Scripture study groups and served as provincial archivist. For several years, she also served as a guide on trips to the Holy Land.

Her funeral Mass and burial were at the Ronkonkoma Cen-acle here on June 16.

Sister Judith Anne Enterlin, CSJ Sister Judith Anne Enterlin, CSJ

Brentwood — Sister Judith Anne Enterlin, formerly Sister Myra Grace, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brent-wood, died April 9 at Maria Regina Residence, Brentwood. She was a longtime pastoral associate at St. Raphael’s Parish, East Meadow.

She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from St. Lawrence parish, Sayville in 1965 and began her ministry as an educator. From 1970-1977 she was a primary grade teacher at St. Clare’s in Rosedale, Queens and at SS. Cyril and Methodius, Deer Park.

She served in parish ministry at SS. Cyril and Methodius (1977-1982) and later at St. Martha’s, Uniondale (1982-1986). She was a pastoral associate at St. Raphael’s for 22 years, from 1986-2008.

During her time in St. Raphael’s she also served the Congregation as director of initial formation from 2000-2006.

Her funeral Mass April 12 was offered at St. Raphael’s, where many parishioners paid tribute to her generous years of service to them. Burial followed at Calvary Cemetery here.

She is survived by her two brothers, Martin and David, and her sister, Joanne.

Sister M. Andre Davoren, IHM

Sister M. Andre Davoren, IHM

Scranton — Sister M. Andre Davoren, of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died here June 3. She was 84.

She entered the IHM congregation in 1943 and made her temporary profession of vows on August 2, 1945 and her final profession of vows on August 2, 1948.
Sister Andre taught at St. Mary High School in Manhasset (1959-62) and Maria Regina Diocesan High School in Uniondale (1976-84). In addition, she served in schools in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Delaware, Connecticut and New York City, as a teacher and principal.

Sister Andre also served on the staff of the IHM Center in Scranton from 1986 to 2007.

She received a bachelor of arts degree in home economics from Marywood College and a master of arts in home economics education from New York University.
Her funeral Mass was offered June 7 at Our Lady of Peace Residence here. Her survivors include her nieces and nephews.

Sister Mary Genevieve Strittmatter, CSJ

Sister Mary Genevieve Strittmatter, CSJ

Brentwood — Sister Mary Genevieve Strittmatter, 93, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood for 72 years who devoted her religious life to the ministry of teaching, died here May 23.

She entered the congregation in 1936, earning her bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University in math and science and her master’s degree from Fordham University in chemistry and physics.

She spent most of her religious life teaching at schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn: Mary’s Nativity in Flushing (1937-1938), Our Lady of Lourdes (1938-1940), St. Francis of Assisi (1940-1947), The Mary Louis Academy in Jamaica Estates (1947-1951), St. Joseph’s Com-mercial High School (1951-1959), St. Brendan’s Diocesan High School (1959-1968), and Stella Maris High School in Rockaway Park (1968-1972), where she also served as bookkeeper and AV coordinator from 1972-1991.

She is survived by her sister, Rita Unz, her brother, Basel Strittmatter, and several nieces. Her funeral Mass was celebrated in Maria Regina Chapel here on May 28, followed by interment in Calvary Cemetery in Brentwood.