These are not typical obituaries, in fact in the world of consecrated life we refer to them as necrologies. These biographical sketches are written by the General Secretary of the congregation shortly after the death of each individual sister. The necrologies are historical documents and may contain errors, including variations in spellings and incorrect dates. The necrologies are presented here as they were written.
If you would like more information about a deceased sister please contact the archivist.
Sister M. Lucy McGrath (Mary Elizabeth McGrath) of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul was called home to her Loving God at Providence Motherhouse, Kingston, Ontario, on October 9, 2013. She was born in Montreal on March 29, 1921 to Margaret Helena...
Alice Bernadette Gallagher was the third child born into a family of four girls and five boys. Her mother, Mary Alberta O’Toole, a Nova Scotian, met her future husband, Fergal Aloysius Gallagher, while teaching in Yorkton, Sask. It was on the Gallagher farm seven and...
Sybil Marie Costley was born on January 23, 1932 in St. John, New Brunswick. At 18 months of age she was adopted by George Costley and Margaret Helen McKinnon. They had earlier adopted another daughter, Margaret, affectionately known as Maggie by Sybil and became a...
Sister Gracia Whalen (Catherine Agnes Whalen) of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul died peacefully on December 14, 2012 at Providence Motherhouse, Kingston, Ontario in the 71st year of her Religious Life. Sister Gracia was born in Belleville, Ontario on...
Mary Leona Fitzgerald was the third of eight children born to Catherine Agnes McAlpine and Patrick Fitzgerald on February 23, 1919 in Greenview, Ontario in a small farmhouse reached only by a road through the fields. She attended elementary school in Greenview, Grades...
Margaret Mary Kelly was born in Regina on May 20, 1923, the third of five children of Rose Ann Beesley and John Kelly. Since her father was an officer with the RCMP, the family moved frequently. From Regina where she was born, the family was posted to Saskatoon,...
Sister Giovanni was born in Kingston, Jamaica on September 1, 1929 to Colin and Inez Burrowes. She came to Canada where she trained as a nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Montreal graduating in May 1953. She nursed on staff until she entered the novitiate of the Sisters...
Sister Margaret McCallion of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul died peacefully at Providence Motherhouse, Kingston, Ontario on April 9, 2012 in the 65th year of religious life. Born on April 26, 1911 in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland, she was the seventh...
Sister Mary Regina Kelly was called home unexpectedly to her loving God on March 25, 2012 at Providence Motherhouse, Kingston, Ontario. She was born in London, Ontario on November 6, 1922 the eldest of 8 children of Katherine McDonald and Thomas Farrell Kelly. Her...
Mary Alma Murphy was born on February 28, 1918 in Chandler, Quebec, to Christine Mauger and Michael Patrick Murphy. Before she entered religious life, Mary worked as a stenographer for the Provincial Government in Cape Cove, Quebec, as a stenographer and book-keeper...
Dorothy Sarah Ryan (Rose Anne) and her twin sister, Theresa Doris (Rose Mary), were born on December 17, 1929 to Jane Gannon and William Ryan in Picton, Ontario. Being one of nine children, she grew up in a loving and faith filled family on the outskirts of Picton....
Joan Wing was born on April 30, 1922 in Gananoque, Ontario, the youngest of five children of Elizabeth Corboy and William J. Wing. She received her education at St. John’s Separate School and Gananoque High School. In 1943 she graduated as a registered nurse from St....
Sister Rose Mary Ryan (Theresa Doris Ryan) was born on December 17, 1929 in Picton, Ontario, one of nine children of Jane Gannon and William Ryan. She was blessed with a twin sister, Dorothy Sarah, Sister Rose Anne. She grew up in a very happy family home which was...
Mary Theresa Grace Garvey was born on July 19, 1916 in Mayo, Quebec, the third eldest of twelve children. Grace grew up on the family farm in a warm family devoted to one another and to the Church. Her parents, Thomas Patrick and Rose (Killeen) Garvey were called by...
Mary Inez Donovan was born in Smiths Falls on December 29, 1918 the second oldest of 6 children of Cornelius Bernard Donovan and Bridget Agnes Smith. She grew up on the family farm in Toledo and received her elementary education in a small country school in Kitly...
Theresa Matthews was born in Toronto on June 16, 1930 the eldest of six children born to Florence Casey and Charles Patrick Matthews. She received her early education at St. Vincent’s School in Kingston and her secondary school diploma from Notre Dame High School,...
Rose Collins was the fifth of six children born to Joseph Collins and Harriet Lajoie on February 18, 1916 in Hungerford Township. She attended St. Carthagh’s Separate School in Tweed, Ontario and the Tweed High School and in 1936 she graduated from the Ottawa...
Patricia Ann Lines was born in Montreal on January 12, 1930. She was the only child of Margaret Monteith and William John Lines. She attended St. Ann’s Academy and St. Gabriel’s School in Montreal. She entered the Novitiate of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent...
Dorothy Margaret Katherine LeGrand was born on October 27th, 1928 in Montreal, Quebec, to Herbert LeGrand and Katherine Sheahan-St. Aubin. She had four brothers, and one sister. Dorothy was the youngest. When she was three years of age, her mother was killed in a car...
Mary Eleanor Fitzpatrick, the second daughter of David Fitzpatrick and Bertha Newton Heritage, was born on June 4, 1921 in Trenton, Ontario. She attended College Street Public School and St. Peter’s School in Trenton. She entered the Novitiate at Heathfield on August...
