Mercy Sister Mary Marita Shaughnessy, 91, died March 15.

Born in Chicago, she attended St. Gabriel School and St. Patrick Academy in Des Plaines. She entered the Sisters of Mercy in Des Plaines in 1943.

She taught primary grades throughout the Chicago area from 1945 until the mid-1960s. After ministering in Wisconsin and McHenry, Illinois, she returned Chicago and served at Mother McAuley High School as a substitute teacher and support staff (1996-2006). From 2006 to 2011, she volunteered in development.