Benedictine Sister of Chicago Joan Gannon, 97, died May 6.

Born in Chicago, she and her family were active members of St. Jerome Parish. After attending St. Scholastica High School, she entered the community as a postulant in 1940 and professed triennial vows in 1942.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught first grade and was parish sacristan at St. Hilary (1942-1948); taught at Mother of God, Waukegan (1948-1951); taught kindergarten at Queen of All Saints (1951-1952); performed various services at the Benedictine Monastery after losing her voice (1952-1953); taught chemistry and math and performed other duties at St. Scholastica High School (1956-1967); ministered in the infirmary (1967-1970); and worked in the language lab and business office at St. Scholastica Academy (1970-1979).

For the next 10 years, she served at several Chicago parishes, including Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Thomas Aquinas. She worked with the St. Jerome “Tip Toppers” and did several jobs in the monastery until retiring in 2014.

Sister of the Living Word Norma (Jane P.) Thelen, 82, died May 9. She had been a member of the community for 45 years.

Born in Michigan, she taught in elementary schools in Illinois, Louisiana and Michigan for 25 years. She then ministered in the field of gerontology for 27 years. She retired in 2013.

She is survived by her brothers Clair and Thomas Thelen and her sisters Rose Mary Nurenberg, Virginia Drake and Linda Thelen.

Felician Sister Mary Dionette (Theophilla) Werner, 90, died May 15 in Our Lady of the Angels Convent.

Born in Poland, she moved to Chicago and attended Good Counsel High School. She entered the Felician Sisters postulancy in 1949 and professed her final vows in 1957. 

She ministered as an elementary school teacher in various schools in Illinois and also served as a librarian at Providence High School in New Lenox. She ministered in the Congregation for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in Rome for 20 years, and served in the Office of the Metropolitan Tribunal for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at Holy Innocents (1949-1955), St. John of God (1955-1957), St. Helen (1960-1965), St. Wenceslaus (1965-1971), and the Office of Metropolitan Tribunal (2000-2014).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary (Ora) Fox, 89, died May 26 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Mary made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican in 1950 and her perpetual profession in 1953. She was a teacher, school administrator, catechist, director of religious education and community liaison in Illinois, Montana, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Mary taught at Visitation (1962-1964) and St. Thomas More (1967-1971). She was principal of St. Basil (1978-1984).

She is survived by two brothers, Leonard Peacock and Jim Fox.

Deacon Marvin Kocar, 87, died May 4 after a long illness. He was ordained in 1986 and served at St. Pius X Parish, Stickney.

Born and raised in Chicago and a resident of Lyons, Deacon Kocar was a U.S. Navy veteran and he worked as an instructor at the Chicago Transit Authority. He enjoyed his retirement traveling, fishing and biking.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Margaret; children Linda Kucera and Marianne Kubat; three grandchildren; and his sister, Beverly Tomzik.

Jesuit Father John T. Dillon, 90, died May 12 in Michigan.

Born in Ludlow, Kentucky, he was a Jesuit for more than 65 years. He entered the society in 1952, was ordained in 1963 and made final vows in 1967.

He earned master’s degrees in philosophy and guidance and counseling from Loyola University Chicago, where he ministered for more than 30 years.

In 1999, he became director of Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, where he served until 2006. He then was a spiritual director at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary (2007-2010).

An injury he suffered as a young adult left him blind in one eye and visually impaired in the other. Because reading for long periods was difficult, he taught himself to retain information he heard listening to lectures and in meetings. His gift for listening made him an excellent spiritual director, according to many of his directees.

He is survived by his sister, Margaret Dillon, and his brother, Lawrence Dillon.

Holy Family of Nazareth Sister Stella Louise (M. Edelburg) Slomka, 99, died May 16 at Nazarethville in Des Plaines.

Born in Chicago, she entered the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in 1937 and professed her final vows in 1947. She earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce and finance and a master’s degree in hospital administration from St. Louis University.

She served as the administrator and president of St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital (now Amita Health Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center) from 1959 until her retirement in 1999 at the age of 78.

Committed to responding to the needs of families deprived of healthcare, she directed the construction of the 16-story, 495-bed St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital Center, which was completed in 1975. She also led the renovation of the former St. Mary School of Nursing into Nazareth Family Center and the construction of the medical office building.

Sister Stella Louise served on numerous boards including the Bishop Abramowicz Seminary Advisory Board and the Retirement Research Foundation. She received many awards for her health care ministry, including the Loyola University Community Service Award, Joseph Cardinal Bernadin’s “As Those Who Serve” award and the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Award from Pope John Paul II.

Father Anthony M. Talarico, 75, died April 30. He was the former pastor of Holy Ghost Parish in South Holland.

Born in Chicago, Father Talarico attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1970.

After ordination, Talarico was assistant pastor of St. Priscilla and Immaculate Conception, Highland Park. He also served as chaplain at Columbus Hospital.

He served as pastor of St. Aloysius, Holy Rosary and Holy Ghost. He also served as an administrator at Cardinal Stritch Retreat House in Mundelein and Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish. He retired from ministry in 2018, and he continued to reside at the Holy Ghost Parish rectory.

Roman Szabelski, former executive director of Catholic Cemeteries, remembers his friend “as a loving pastor who was always concerned for his parishioners.” Father Talarico cared for Szabelski’s brother, Father Joe Szabelski, who suffered from chronic health issues before he died three years ago.

“The same gentle kindness Father Tony showed his parishioners was the same gentle kindness that was applied to my brother,” said Szabelski, who recalled how Father Talarico cared for a three-legged Irish wolfhound named Finn. “Whenever the shelter had a dog, they would always call Father Tony to adopt it. I guess he was always willing to take care of the abandoned.”

Providence Sister Helen Therese (Eileen) Conway, 94, died April 16 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Chicago, she attended Our Lady of the Angels School and Providence High School. She entered the Sisters of Providence in 1948 and professed final vows in 1955.

Of her 72 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in education for 37 years in schools in Indiana, Illinois and California. Retiring from teaching in 1987, she returned to the motherhouse, where she served as an administrative assistant in a variety of offices. 

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Francis Xavier, Wilmette (1960-1964) and Our Lady of Mercy (1964-1965).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Loretta (Mercedes) Finnerty, 89, died April 27 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin. Her religious name was Sister Mercedes.

Born in Chicago, Sister Loretta made her first religious profession in 1952 and her perpetual profession in 1955. She was an educator and pastoral minister in Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois, the District of Columbia, Louisiana and Michigan.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Loretta taught at St. Basil (1976-1977) and Visitation (1977-1981).

She is survived by a sister, Betty Finnerty.