Father John W. Tapper, 82, died May 20. He was pastor emeritus of St. Ansgar Parish in Hanover Park.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. Genevieve School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1961.

He served as assistant or associate pastor at Our Lady of the Wayside, Arlington Heights; Santa Maria del Popolo, Mundelein; St. Francis de Sales, Lake Zurich; St. Alphonsus Liguori, Prospect Heights; St. Ansgar, Hanover Park; and St. Cecilia; Mount Prospect. In 2006, he was given the title of pastor emeritus.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Carol Sutter, 80, died May 17 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Carol made her first religious profession in 1957 and her final profession in 1960. 

She was a teacher and religious educator who ministered in Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico. 

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Carol taught at St. Basil (1958-1961) and St. Thomas More (1976-1978). 

She is survived by two sisters, Jean Sutter and Betty Endres, and a brother, Richard Sutter.

Holy Cross Sister Bernice Marie (M. Josephina) Hollenhorst, 88, died May 16.

A native of Minnesota, she entered the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1949 and professed first vows in 1952.

She ministered for 23 years as a teacher, mostly in Illinois and Indiana, and earned a master’s degree at Rosary College, now Dominican University. She then ministered for 27 years as library director at St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. During that time, she sought funding for a new library and oversaw its design and construction. Following her retirement in 2002, she spent 10 years serving as an archivist for her congregation.

Deacon Leonard F. Delisi, 75, of Dyer, Indiana, died May 4. He was ordained a deacon in 1980 and served at St. Victor, Calumet City.

Deacon Delisi was a successful small-business owner, establishing Calumet City Travel, then Excursions/Leonard’s Tours and Viva Las Vegas, before acquiring Royal American Travel.

In addition to serving as a deacon for many years, he participated as a member of the Glory Choir at St. Victor. Deacon Delisi also appeared on a variety of community theatre stages throughout the area.  

Mercy Sister Eleanora Holdgrafer, 93, died April 24.

Born in Iowa, she graduated from high school and worked for five years as a registered nurse before entering the Sisters of Mercy in 1949 in Des Plaines.

She went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing and a master’s degree in health administration.

She served as a nurse at Mercy Hospital (1952-1955) and other hospitals in Illinois and Iowa before becoming a hospital administrator. In 1974, she became a family nurse practitioner and provided health care in eight counties in central Iowa through the Iowa State Department of Health.

She moved to Chicago in 2001 and to Mercy Circle in 2014.