Obituaries

Sr. Elizabeth Kreiner

Educator, chaplain

Adrian Dominican Sister Elizabeth (Catherine William) Kreiner, 95, died Jan. 15 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Michigan, she was in the 79th year of her religious profession.

Sister ministered in education, in congregation leadership, as a chaplain and as an administrator in Illinois and Michigan.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Queen of Angels (1938-1943, 1967-1968); St. Celestine, Elmwood Park (1943-1951); St. Clare of Montefalco (1951-1952); and St. Albert the Great, Oak Lawn (1962-1967). She was co-provincial of the St. Dominic Province in Hometown (1970-1972), executive director of Mercy House Corp (1973-1974); chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital (1974-1976) and chaplain at Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood (1977-1981).

Sr. Therese O’Donnell

Principal

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Therese (Eamon) O’Donnell, 90, died Jan. 14 in Dubuque, Iowa.

Born in Chicago, Sister Therese made her first religious profession in 1947 and her final profession in 1950. She was a teacher, principal and consultant in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Therese was principal at St. Basil (1968-1969) and St. Louis de Montfort, Oak Lawn (1977-2002).

Sr. Jeanne Flanagan

Educator, community leader

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Jeanne Flanagan, 91, died Jan. 14 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, Sister Jeanne made her first religious profession in 1949 and her final profession Aug. 5, 1952. She ministered in education, community leadership, religious education and spiritual direction in Minnesota, Wyoming, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Jeanne was principal at Queen of Peace, Burbank (1962-1966) and served the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation as prioress provincial of the Southwest Province (1968-1976).

Sr. Marianne O’Neill

Educator

Adrian Dominican Sister Marianne (David Frances) O’Neill, 80, died on Jan. 13 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Chicago, she was in the 62nd year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Marianne ministered in education, pastoral care and service to her congregation in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served at St. Mary Star of the Sea (1979-1981); Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette (1981-1986); and St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights (1986-1987).

Sr. Anne Krall

Educator

Benedictine Sister Anne (Barbara) Krall, 88, died Jan. 5 at St. Scholastica Monastery.

She was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado, and entered the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago in 1954. She made her final vows in 1959.

In Chicago, she taught at Queen of All Saints, St. Joseph, St. Hilary and St. Symphorosa. She also taught at a number of schools and directed parish religious education programs in Colorado.

Sr. Rita Schirtzinger

Educator
1997-2014

Sister of Notre Dame of Namur Rita (St. Clement) Schirtzinger, 88, died Dec. 27 in Cincinnati.

Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, she entered the community in 1946 and made her final vows in 1954.

Sister Rita taught elementary school in parish schools in Ohio and Illinois. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Robert Bellarmine and St. Victor. When Sister Rita retired from formal teaching, she tutored adults and helped them pass their GED and gain computer skills.

Sister Rita is survived by one sibling, Ida Dunkman.

Deacon Robert O’Keefe

Class of 1984

Deacon Robert O’Keefe, 88, died Jan. 31. He was ordained in 1984 and served at St. Isaac Jogues Parish, Niles.

He retired as vice president of human resources after 50 years of service at Fel-Pro in Skokie, where he was known as an advocate for all employees.

He is survived by his wife, Joan; children Kevin, Patrick and Timothy O’Keefe; and Mary Walsh, Kathleen O’Neill and Eileen Reisel; 17 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Rabbi Herman Schaalman

Interfaith dialogue leader

Rabbi Herman Schaalman, 100, died Feb. 1. One of the foremost Reform rabbis in the United States, he was a leader in the movement for interfaith dialogue and one of the founders of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago.

He was a close friend of Cardinal Bernardin and participated in his funeral rites.

Rabbi Schaalman came to the United States from his native Germany to study in 1935. He came to Chicago in 1949 to serve as the Midwest director of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. In 1956, he became the senior rabbi at Emanuel Congregation, 5959 N. Sheridan Road, where he served for 30 years.

According to an article in the JUF News in honor of his 100th birthday, Rabbi Schaalman served as a trustee on the board of the Millennium Institute and a member of the executive committee of the Council for the Parliament of World Religions. In 1991, the president of Germany honored him with the award of the Order of Merit, First Class. The International Council of Christians and Jews gave Schaalman its highest honor, the Interfaith Gold Medallion — Peace Through Dialogue. Among his honorary doctorates was one from Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park, where he also served on the faculty.

He is survived by his children, Susan Youdovin and Michael Schaalman, and five grandchildren.

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