Mercy Sister Emily Mary (Joan) Kemppi, 84, died Nov. 22.

Born in Waukegan, she grew up in North Chicago. She entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1952.

Sister Emily began her life of ministry in 1957 as a high school teacher, teaching Latin, English and logic for nearly 10 years at Mother McAuley High School in Chicago, as assistant principal at Mercy High School in Chicago and as co-principal of Unity High School when Mercy and Loretto high school merged. She also taught at Mercy High School in Milwaukee.

She then became mental health occupational therapist at Mercy Center in Aurora, Illinois, and Mercy Hospital in Chicago until 1992.

She later served as an aide to sisters living at McAuley Convent while working as support staff for Network for Mercy Education in Chicago.

In 2014, she moved to Mercy Circle.