Obituaries: 3 Dominican sisters who served in S. Florida schools

By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic

MIAMI | Three Adrian Dominican Sisters who served in South Florida Catholic schools for a combined 60 years have died in recent weeks. Here are their obituaries.

SISTER CHARLENE COTE, 83

A funeral Mass was celebrated Sept. 17 in Adrian, Michigan, for Sister Charlene, formerly known as Sister Mary Leonette Cote, who served at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale from 1972 to 2008.

She died Sept. 12 at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian. She was 83 and in the 61st year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Charlene was born in Chicago, Illinois and graduated from Aquinas High School there. She received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian and a master’s degree in art education and administration from Florida State University in Tallahassee.

She spent 49 years ministering in elementary and secondary education in Roy, New Mexico; Winslow, Arizona; Oakland, California; and Pompano Beach, St. Petersburg and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Thirty-one of those years were spent teaching at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where she continued for another five years as the assistant director of transportation. She also served as a teacher at St. Elizabeth in Pompano Beach from 1968 to 1970, then spent three years serving in ministry to the homebound at Cirrito Home in Plantation before moving to the Dominican Life Center in 2011.

 SISTER FRANCIS ELIZABETH MCDONNELL, 92

Sister Francis Elizabeth, formerly known as Collette Mary McDonnell, ministered in Florida for over 60 years, including 13 years at St. Anthony School in Fort Lauderdale. She died Aug. 26 at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 92 and in the 74th year of her religious profession.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, she graduated from St. Joseph Academy in Adrian and received a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s in educational administration/supervision, both from Barry College (University) in Miami Shores.

Sister spent 53 years ministering in education in Detroit and Adrian, Michigan; and Hollywood, West Palm Beach, North Miami, Jacksonville, Palatka, Gulfport, Fort Lauderdale, Riviera Beach, and Fort Pierce, Florida.

She served as principal and religious education director at St. Anthony from 1969 to 1982. She also taught at Little Flower in Hollywood from 1949 to 1950 and at St. James in North Miami from 1953 to 1955. From 2006 to 2010, she served as a volunteer at Rosarian Academy in West Palm Beach.

Her funeral Mass was celebrated Sept. 4 in St. Catherine Chapel of the Dominican Life Center in Adrian.

 

SISTER CAROL LOUISE HILLER, 97

Sister Carol Louise, formerly known as Elizabeth June Hiller, served as librarian at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Fort Lauderdale, from 1967-1973. She died Aug. 24 at age 97, in the 77th year of her religious profession.

Sister Carol Louise was born in Detroit, Michigan. She received a bachelor’s degree in English from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian, a master’s in English from De Paul University in Chicago, and a master’s in library science from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Sister ministered for 17 years in elementary and secondary education, 21 years as school librarian, and six years as school secretary in Chicago, Oak Lawn and Joliet, Illinois; Cheektowaga, New York; Iron River, Michigan; West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Fairbanks, Alaska; and Hayward, California. This includes one year (1966-67) as librarian at Cardinal Newman High School, West Palm Beach.

Her funeral Mass was celebrated Aug. 30 in the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, where she had lived since 2004. 

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan, 49221.