Sister of the Holy Family Nazareth Phyllis (Emnilda) Siedlecka, 93, died Jan. 23.

She attended St. Adalbert Parish and St. Ann High School before entering religious life in 1952.

She taught primary school in Illinois, Indiana and Texas and served as a local superior. She also ministered at the provincialate and at Nazarethville in Des Plaines.

Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth Bernadine (M. Norbertine) Wachowiak, 91, died Feb. 22.

She attended St. Hedwig parish and school and Holy Family Academy before entering  religious life in 1951.

She ministered as a teacher, principal and director of religious education with assignments at St. Hyacinth; St. Blase, Argo; St. Michael; St. Emily, Mount Prospect; Immaculate Heart of Mary; St. Josaphat; St. Hedwig; St. Andrew; St. Ladislaus and the community’s provincialate at Nazarethville in Des Plaines.

She is survived by a brother, Kenneth, and a sister, Rita.

School Sister of St. Francis Rita Mae Rabitoy, 92, died at Sacred Heart Convent in Milwaukee on March 26.

Born in Michigan, Sister Rita Mae was received into the community in 1950, made her first profession of vows in 1952 and made her final vows in 1958.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Rita Mae ministered at St. Benedict High School (1954-1956); Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Glenview (1956-1957); St. Mary, Buffalo Grove (1963-1967); St. William (1967-1971, 1972-1985); Our Lady of Ransom, Niles (1985-2005); and St. Cyprian, River Grove (1971-1972 and 2005-2006), where she also volunteered in retirement from 2006-2018.

Providence Sister Mary Lois (Ollie Marie) Hennel, 98, died April 3 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Indiana, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1946 and professed final vows in 1954.

In her 79 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered as a teacher in schools in Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In 1970, she left teaching for administrative work, serving the St. Gabriel Province in Indianapolis and the Archdiocese of San Francisco. She also served in the business office at the motherhouse.

After retiring in 2002, she continued to serve as a volunteer in the business office and in the Providence Food Pantry.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at Our Lady of Sorrows (1949-1953) and as secretary at Mother Theodore Guerin High School, River Grove (1990-1994).

Sister Mary Lois is survived by a brother, Joseph Hennel, and a sister, Maggie Hennel.

Dominican Sister Marie Anna (Rose de Lima) Stelmach, 80, died April 8 in Racine, Wisconsin.

Born in Baltimore, she made profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican in 1965.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in math and theology from Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest. She also earned a master’s degree in divinity from Immaculate Conception Seminary in New Jersey; a master’s degree in theology from Seton Hall University in New Jersey; and certification as a registered nurse from Bon Secours Memorial School of Nursing in Virginia.

Her ministry focused on teaching, pastoral care, missionary work and health care. She taught in California, Wisconsin and New York as well as at Visitation School in Chicago. She served as a missionary in the Diocese of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, Trinidad; and as a director of religious education in Rockford, Illinois; Washington, D.C.; and Louisiana.

She worked in hospital chaplaincy and prison ministry before serving as a registered nurse in Virginia and for the Sinsinawa Dominican congregation.

She is survived by two sisters, Helen Wyczalek and Jean Huether.

Father Robert G. Mair, 86, died March 29. He was pastor emeritus of St. Catherine Labouré Parish in Glenview.

Born in Chicago, Father Mair attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1965.

After ordination, Mair served as assistant pastor of St. Nicholas, Evanston, and St. Joseph, Wilmette. He was associate pastor of St. Peter, Skokie, and St. Mary of the Lake.

He became pastor of St. Catherine Labouré in 2000 and retired in 2009.

Father William E. Vanecko, one of Father Mair’s classmates, remembered him as a good pastor and athlete.

“He was a big fan of golf,” Vanecko said, as he recalled the days when they played basketball and softball together.

Deacon Hippolito Crespo, 83, died March 23 in Puerto Rico, where he had lived for several years. He was ordained in 1999 and ministered at St. Sylvester Parish. He moved to Puerto Rico in 2010.

Deacon James Revord, 91, died March 24. He was ordained in 1993 and ministered at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Glenview.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he moved with his family to Minnesota and Ohio before settling in Chicago. He attended Loyola Academy and the University of Notre Dame, where he studied mechanical engineering.

He married his wife, Patricia, in 1957, before beginning a three-year stint as a damage control officer in the U.S. Navy. After returning to Chicago, he worked as a mechanical engineer in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry.

As a deacon, he led faith-sharing groups and baptismal preparation and did hospital visits and bereavement ministry with his wife. He also delivered countless homilies, baptized hundreds of babies, witnessed many marriages and offered many beautiful eulogies.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia; his children Mary Eileen, Janie, John, Tom, Julie and Patrick; 12 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Deacon William Engler, 84, died March 26. He was ordained in 1986.

He ministered at St. Mary, Riverside; St. John of the Cross, Western Springs; and St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr, Tinley Park, accompanying people in need, in doubt and in joy. He loved officiating baptisms and marriages and held deep affection for his deacon family.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Kate; his sons Vincent and Matthew; three grandchildren, and his sister, Marianne Lillie.

Deacon John Lorbach, 75, died March 26. He was ordained in 1996 and served at St. Raymond de Penafort Parish in Mount Prospect.

Deacon Lorbach served as the parish’s director of worship, coordinated the baptism program and was the parish representative to St. Mark Lutheran Church, the parish’s covenant partner.

He is survived by his wife, Ingrid; his children Brian, Timothy and Mary Kate; three grandchildren; and siblings Diane Wilson, David Lorbach and Karen Schappert.