Sister Louis Mary Passeri, OP
Funeral Mass for Sister Louis Mary Passeri, OP, 92, who died at the Mohun Health Care Center in Columbus on Sunday, June 22, was celebrated Tuesday, July 8 at the Motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of Peace. She has requested that her body be donated to science.
She was born Joann Passeri on Sept. 30, 1932 in Steubenville to James and Grace (Paluaci) Passeri and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of St. Mary of the Springs (now Ohio Dominican University) in 1961 and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1966.
She entered the Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs (now the Dominican Sisters of Peace) on Jan. 6, 1952 and professed her vows on July 9, 1953.
In the Diocese of Columbus, she was a teacher at Columbus St. Philip School (1959-1963) and Zanesville Rosecrans High School (1965-67), principal at Zanesville St. Thomas Aquinas School (1967-1972), a teacher at Lancaster St. Mary School (1972-1983) and teacher and principal at Columbus Christ the King School (1983-1993).
She served as diocesan religious education director from 1993 to 2009 and was administrative assistant at the Center for Dominican Studies in Columbus from 2009 to 2012, then entered a life of prayer at the Motherhouse from 2012 to 2014 and became spiritual director there in 2014.
She also taught at schools in the Dioceses of Steubenville and Pittsburgh, was the presenter at many retreats and days of prayer in the Dioceses of Columbus and Steubenville and appeared on podcasts for The Word, a Dominican series, and on The Gabriel Network.
Her honors included an award from the Ohio Music Education Association as outstanding school principal in 1989 and the 28th annual Living Faith Award from the Spirituality Network of Columbus in 2019.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her sisters Caroline Rokos and Inez Patterson.
Sister Bernardita Abeyta, OP
Funeral Mass for Sister Bernardita Abeyta, OP, 70, who died at the Mohun Health Care Center in Columbus on Saturday, June 21, was celebrated Tuesday, July 1 at the Motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of Peace. Burial was at St. Joseph Cemetery, Columbus.
She was born Octavianna Abeyta on Oct. 19, 1934 at Barranco, New Mexico to Jose and Bernardita (Garcigehle) Abeyta and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood education from the University of Southern Connecticut in 1972.
She entered the Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs (now the Dominican Sisters of Peace) on Sept. 8, 1954 and professed her vows on Jan. 6, 1957.
In the Diocese of Columbus, she was a housekeeper at St. Francis Convent in Columbus and St. Joseph Priory and Convent in Somerset, worked in the priests’ dining room at the St. Mary of the Springs complex in Columbus and was in food service at what then was known as Mohun Hall from 1957 to 1966 and was a post office clerk at St. Mary of the Springs from 1999 to 2002. She had been in a ministry of prayer at the Motherhouse and the Mohun center since 2010.
She also was a food service worker in Connecticut, taught at schools in New Mexico and Puerto Rico and was a parish religious education director in New Mexico.
She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Carlos, Manuel and Baltazar; and sisters, Onofre Salazar, Adelicia Lopez, Cleo Calistro, Margaret Serna and Maximiama. She is survived by her sister Josephine Trujillo and nieces and nephews.
Sister Maura Fortkort, OSF
Funeral Mass for Sister Maura Fortkort, OSF, 93, who died Saturday, June 21, was celebrated Thursday, June 26 at the chapel of the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity in Stella Niagara, New York. Burial was in the sisters’ cemetery.
She was born Maryann Fortkort on May 17, 1932 in Buffalo, New York to Albert and Mary (O’Donnell) Fortkort and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Rosary Hill College (now Daemen College) in Amherst, New York in 1958, a Master of Arts degree from Niagara University in Lewiston, New York in 1967 and a doctorate in higher education from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1978.
She entered the Stella Niagara Franciscans on Sept. 9, 1949 and professed her first vows on Aug. 8, 1952 and her final vows on the same date in 1955.
In the Diocese of Columbus, she was a teacher at Columbus Sacred Heart elementary and high schools (1958-1961) and vice president of mission services at Mount Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital in Westerville (1997-1999).
She also taught in the Diocese of Buffalo and held administrative positions at Rosary Hill and Daemen colleges; Genesee Community College in Batavia, New York; Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, New York and with her order. She was general councilor at the Franciscan Generalate in Rome from 200o to 2004 and served as a missionary in Mexico in 1996 and 1997.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Thomas (Deanna). She is survived by a sister, Sister Nancy Fortkort, OSF, a niece and several nephews.
Sister Rose Marie Deibel, SNDdeN
Funeral Mass for Sister Rose Marie Deibel, SNDdeN, 96, who died Tuesday, June 17, was celebrated Thursday, July 3 at the Mount Notre Dame Health Center in Cincinnati. Burial was in the sisters’ cemetery.
She was born on March 21, 1929 in Columbus to Carl and Thelma (Fearing) Deibel, grew up in Lancaster and was a graduate of Columbus St. Joseph Academy. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1960 from the College of St. Mary of the Springs (now Ohio Dominican University) and a Master of Education degree in 1972 from Xavier University in Cincinnati.
She became a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur on July 26, 1947 and professed her vows in 1950.
In the Diocese of Columbus, she was a teacher at Columbus St. Augustine (1950-1956) and Columbus St. Joseph Cathedral (1956-1958) schools. She also taught at schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and in Illinois and New Mexico.
From 1982 to 2008, she ministered to native Americans of the Ojibway, Zuni, Apache and Pima tribes in Michigan, New Mexico and Arizona. This period included 10 years as assistant director of Native American Ministry in the Archdiocese of Phoenix.
She had been a resident of Mount Notre Dame since 2008.
Sister Marita Charley, OP
Funeral Mass for Sister Marita Charley, OP, 96, who died at the Mohun Health Care Center in Columbus on Friday, May 30, was celebrated Saturday, June 21 at the Motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of Peace. Burial was at St. Joseph Cemetery, Columbus.
She was born Johanna Charley on July 22, 1928 in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania to Anthony and Mary (Budway) Charley and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from the College of St. Mary of the Springs (now Ohio Dominican University) in 1961 and a Master of Arts degree from Fairfield (Connecticut) University in 1969.
She entered the Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs (now the Dominican Sisters of Peace) in 1951 and professed her vows on July 9, 1953.
In the Diocese of Columbus, she was a teacher at Newark Blessed Sacrament School from 1956 to 1958. She also taught or was a principal or administrator in schools in the Diocese of Steubenville, Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania. She entered the Mohun Center in 2014.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers John and Thomas and sisters Mary, Mildred, Marie, Anne Rose, Suzanne, Sally Prefling, Adele Olesky and Frances Donatto.
Rose Marie Butts
A private funeral service was conducted for Rose Marie Butts, 79, who died Sunday, June 29.
She was a retired employee of the Columbus public schools and a longtime member of the former Columbus Corpus Christi Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Deacon Jerry Butts, who died on March 18, 2020, and two grandchildren. She is survived by sons Jerry (Kelli) and Richard (Jean), daughters Cathy (Duane) Phillips and Sandy (Larry) Listonnine, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
ALLEN, Stanley E., 81, June 14
St. Rose of Lima Church, New Lexington
BUTTS, Lawrence E., 75, June 22
St. Margaret of Cortona Church, Columbus
CARLUCCI, Mary Alice, 63, June 27
St. Peter St. Joan of Arc Parish, Columbus-Powell
CLOPPERT, John P., 47, June 15
Resurrection Cemetery Chapel, Lewis Center
DeMERS, Keith M., 66, June 13
St. Matthew the Apostle Church, Gahanna
DURANT, Thomas Warren “Tom,” 83, June 26
St. Nicholas Church, Zanesville
ERHARD, Sherry Diane, 78, June 22
St. Francis de Sales Church, Newark
FINCK, Thomas Edwin “Ed,” 79, June 11
St. Patrick Church, Junction City
GRAHAM, Jean A. (Mathews), 84, June 22
St. Mary, Mother of God Church, Columbus
KELLEHER, Jo Ann M. (Haidet), 96, formerly of Columbus, June 12
St. Joseph Church, Alliance
KNAPP, Robert J., 82, June 18
St. Pius X Church, Reynoldsburg
MEESE, Lori, 56, June 24
St. Joseph Church, Dover
NILO, Antoinette L. “Toni” (Bencriscutto), 98, June 11
Resurrection Cemetery Chapel, Lewis Center
PHAM, Tinh T., 86, June 13
St. Elizabeth Church of St. Josephine Bakhita Parish, Columbus
RERICHA, Christopher A., 78, June 16
St. Cecilia Church, Columbus
RICHARDSON, Bruce T., 81, May 29
St. Peter Church, Columbus
SIEMER, Marjorie A. (Dew), 93, June 19
St. Rose of Lima Church, New Lexington
STROMINGER, Patricia A. (Woloch), 89, June 16
St. Catharine Church, Columbus
TEALE, Kathleen “Kathy,” 79, June 18
St. Paul the Apostle Church, Westerville
TILSON, Sylvia A., 92, June 25
Church of the Resurrection, New Albany
WALTER, Denise A. (McArthur), 77, of Westerville, June 17
St. Joseph Church, Strongsville
WRIGHT, Joshua James “Moose,” 50, June 28
St. Nicholas Church, Zanesville
YOUNG, Karen K., 84, June 17
St. James the Less Church, Columbus