Sister of the Living Word Barbara (Josepha) Hawken, 81, died Feb. 20.

Born in Chicago, she entered the Sisters of Christian Charity in 1953. She joined the Sisters of the Living Word in 1991.

She ministered in education in Minnesota and Ohio as well as in the Archdiocese of Chicago, where she served at St. Teresa of Avila; St. Gregory; St. Mary, Riverdale; Josephinum High School; St. Hedwig; and St. Robert Bellarmine.

Sister Barbara is survived by her sisters Janet Doyle and Diane Larson.

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.

Adrian Dominican Sister Joyce (Mary Cherubim ) Banks, 85, died Feb. 1 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Chicago, she graduated from Aquinas Dominican High School. She was in the 67th year of her religious life.

Sister Joyce taught music and was a music director in Michigan, Virginia, South Carolina, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and in Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Aquinas High School (1966-1973) and was music director at Immaculate Heart of Mary High School, Westchester (1980- 1998).

Sister Joyce is survived by a sister, Jean Griffin.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Jean (Honoria) Richter, 88, died Jan. 30 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, Sister Jean made her first religious profession in 1948 and her final profession in 1951. She taught elementary school and was a college teacher and administrator in Wisconsin, Illinois, New York and Italy.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Jean taught at St. Vincent Ferrer, River Forest (1950-1953), and served as the dean of Rosary College School of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy (1975-1980).

She is survived by a sister, Margaret “Peggy” Wolfe.

BVM Sister Sarah Ann Braig, 72, died Jan. 29 at Mercy Hospital in Dubuque, Iowa.

Born in Iowa, she entered the BVM congregation in 1965 and professed final vows in 1975.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Sarah taught first grade at St. Peter, Antioch. She also ministered as a teacher and in health care in Iowa, Oregon and Missouri.

She is survived by brothers Thomas and James Braig and sister Betsy Ann Cerutti.

Resurrectionist Father Fred Ciesla, 93, died at Maryhaven in Glenview Jan. 28. He was a member of the Congregation of the Resurrection since his first vows in 1942 and a priest since 1949.

Father Fred spent his entire apostolic career as a teacher in Chicago, serving as an instructor of theology for more than 50 at Archbishop Weber and Gordon Tech high schools.

He also served as an assistant principal. His greatest love was music and his devotion was directed to the school choir, band and glee club.

He is survived by his sister Irene.