Divine Word Father Bernard Fisher, 97, died Feb. 13 in Techny. He was a missionary in Papua New Guinea.

Father Fisher was a priest for 70 years and in religious vows for 75. He taught at Divine Word seminaries in the United States before being sent to Papua New Guinea in 1948.

In his nearly five decades there, he traveled to remote villages, opened catechetical centers and taught business and agriculture, among other assignments. He also served as a vocation recruiter in the United States.

He returned to the United States permanently in 1992 at age 75. He taught himself desktop publishing and printed more than 30 books and booklets. He moved to Techny in 1992.

Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Lorraine Oswald, 83, died Feb. 9 in Cincinnati. A native of Chicago, she graduated from Notre Dame High School for Girls in 1951 and was a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 57 years.

Sister Lorraine, known as “Ozzie,” taught at St. Peter Canisius School (1966-1967) and later was a member of the St. Robert Bellarmine Community for 27 of the 29 years she taught in Villa Park, Illinois.

In addition to teaching, Sister Lorraine used the carpentry skills she learned from her father as volunteer with Cincinnati Housing Partners, helping renovate homes that were made available to low-income, first home buyers.

Sister of Notre Dame de Namur and World War II veteran Marguerite (Marguerite Michael) McHugh, 93, died Feb. 6 in Reading, Ohio.

A native of Cincinnati, she entered religious life in 1954 and made final vows in 1962.

Sister Marguerite had many ambitions in her school years. In 1942 she joined the WAVES and became a gunnery instructor at the U.S. Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia. After the war, while discerning her vocation, she remained active with Catholic War Veterans. In 2012 she was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.

She served in educational and social-service ministries in Ohio and Illinois. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served at St. Robert Bellarmine (1958-1963).

Sister Marguerite is survived by her youngest sister, Margie.

Providence Sister Regina Shaughnessy, 94, died Feb. 4 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

An Indiana native, Sister Regina entered the Sisters of Providence in 1949 and professed final vows in 1957. She taught high school English, worked in administrative-service positions then joined the staff of the congregation archives.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Columbkille High School (1952- 1956).

Father Richard Joseph Dempsey, 83, died Feb. 4 in Bonita Springs, Florida, where he was retired. Father Dempsey was pastor emeritus of Most Holy Redeemer Parish, Evergreen Park.

Father Dick Dempsey, as he was known, was born in Chicago and attended St. Christina and St. Cajetan schools, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1958.

Father Dempsey was assistant pastor at Our Lady of Grace (1958- 1965); St. Sebastian (1965-1966); Holy Family, North Chicago (1969-1980); and St. Victor, Calumet City (1989-1991).

During this time, he served as chaplain of the Area 7 Catholic Youth Organization and Kelvyn Park High School (1960- 1964). In 1966, Father Dempsey was commissioned as a Navy chaplain. His tours of duty included Vietnam; Okinawa; the Philippines; the USS Constellation aircraft carrier; San Diego and Monterey, California; and the Great Lakes Naval Training Station.

In 1991, he was named pastor of Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Evergreen Park, until his retirement in 2003.

Father Dempsey is survived by his brothers, Msgr. Thomas Dempsey of the Rockford Diocese and Donald Dempsey, and his sisters Deanne O’Toole, Sally Dempsey, Kathleen Moyer and Dominican Sister Dorothy Dempsey.