Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Janette (Juditha) Wicker, 91, died Jan. 29 in Footville, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Janette made her first religious profession in 1954 and her perpetual profession in 1957. She was a teacher, co-principal and principal, as well as a religious education coordinator, liturgist, pastoral associate and librarian. She served in Illinois and Wisconsin.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Janette taught at St. Cajetan (1954-1963).

Father Charles W. Watkins, 78, died Jan. 27. He was the former pastor of St. Columba Parish.

Born in Florence, Alabama, Father Watkins attended Coffee High School and the University of North Alabama, both in Florence, and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein.

Before entering the seminary, Father Watkins spent more than a quarter century working in health care. In the early 1980s, he was coordinator of the cardiac surgery section and a research clinician at the University of Chicago.

He was ordained in 2003 at age 58.

After being ordained, Father Watkins was associate pastor at Our Lady of the Ridge, Chicago Ridge, and St. Cletus, La Grange. He became pastor of St. Columba Parish in 2012, and served there until he retired in 2020. Watkins was also chaplain of the Circus and Traveling Show Apostolate and served as dean of Vicariate IV-C.

Father Michael Novick, ordained in 2001 and associate pastor of St. Cletus Parish, was a close friend of Father Watkins. “He became part of my family here in Chicago, since his was in Alabama.”

Deacon Wolfgang Walter Kunath, 82, of Hudson Oaks, Texas, died Jan. 16. He was ordained in 1977 and served at St. Catherine Laboure Parish in Glenview before moving to Texas.

Born in Germany, Deacon Kunath moved to Chicago with his family when he was a child. He married his high school sweetheart, Bonnie, in 1965, after serving for six years in the U.S. Air Force.

Deacon Kunath studied at IIT Technical Institute and the University of Illinois at Chicago before working for 27 years at AT&T.

As a deacon, he taught religious education, and served in prison, hospital and nursing home ministries. He was also a fourth degree Knight of Columbus.

He is survived by his wife, Bonnie; children Eric Kunath, Gwen Hasty, Perrin Kunath and Marrika Schumann; 10 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Adrian Dominican Sister Helen (Denis Margaret) McAllister, 83, died Dec. 17, 2022, in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Evergreen Park, Sister Helen attended Aquinas Dominican High School. She was a member of her community for 64 years.

Sister Helen ministered in education in Michigan and Illinois. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she was campus minister at Immaculate Heart of Mary, Westchester (1985-1989) and a teacher at St. Cyprian, River Grove (1989-1995); St. Benedict, Blue Island (1995-1997) and Queen of Peace High School, Burbank (1998-2009).

Franciscan Sister of Chicago M. Gabriel (Irene) Lazarski, 96, died Jan. 9.

Sister M. Gabriel entered the community in 1947 and professed perpetual vows in 1954.

She ministered in education and in leadership positions in her community in Illinois and Indiana.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Florian (1949-1950); St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr (1950-1954, 1979-1980); St. Louise de Marillac, La Grange Park (1959-1960); and was principal and local superior at Five Holy Martyrs (1969-1974);

From 1974 to 1985, she served two terms as a general councilor. During that time, she held a number of other leadership positions, including retirement coordinator (1976-1977) and motherhouse superior (1977-1979). She was also assistant principal (1980-1981) and principal (1982-1985) of St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr.

She was novice director (1987-1990) at the Lemont motherhouse, then ministered at Five Holy Martyrs as local superior while volunteering at the Port (1990-1991) and director of religious education (1991-1993). From 1993 to 2006, she ministered at St. Joseph Home as local superior and director of mission effectiveness, among other positions. She ministered at Madonna Convent from 2006 to 2009, before retiring at the motherhouse.