Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Diona McNichols, 86, died Aug. 17 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

A Chicago native, Sister Diona made her first religious profession in 1956 and her final profession in 1959. She taught for 29 years and served as associate academic dean for 11 years and administrative assistant for eight years. Sister Diona served in Montana, Wisconsin and Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Diona served at Rosary College, now Dominican University, River Forest, as home economics teacher, 1965-1968, 1980-1991 and 1994-2000; associate academic dean, 1968-1979, when she also served as director of the summer school; and administrative assistant to the chancellor, 1991- 1994. She also ministered as receptionist at St. Luke Parish, River Forest, 2000-2005.

She is survived by a brother, William “Bill” McNichols.

Viatorian Father Edward Anderson, 94, died Aug. 14 in Las Vegas.

Father Anderson joined the Viatorians in 1944 after graduating from high school in Peeksville, New York. He professed perpetual vows in 1948 and was ordained in 1950.

He served in schools and parishes in New York, Illinois and Nevada. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, he was provincial of the Viatorians’ Chicago province from 1969 to 1974.

Sister of St. Joseph Adrienne Schmidt, 88, died Aug. 16. She had been a Sister of St. Joseph for 70 years.

Sister Adrienne was a teacher at Nazareth Academy, LaGrange Park; St. Leonard, Berwyn; and St. Francis Xavier, LaGrange, where she also served as principal. She was food service manager at the Cenacle in Warrenville, Illinois, and administrator and food service manager at the LaGrange Park Center.

Daughter of St. Mary of Providence Sister Gertrude Labarbera, 84, died Aug. 7.

Born in Fredonia, New York, she entered the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence in 1953.

She ministered in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rome and Michigan, as well as in Illinois. In the archdiocese, she was principal of the school program at the St. Rose Center (1970-1971); was director of residential services and formator for junior sisters (1971-1975) and delegation superior (1982-1992) at St. Mary of Providence; and superior at Mount St. Joseph, Lake Zurich (2004- 2012). In 2016, she retired to Queen of Peace Retirement Center in Lake Zurich.

Mercy Sister Gwendolyn (Mary Catherine) Durkin, 91, died July 30. She had been a Sister of Mercy for nearly 67 years.

Born in Chicago, she graduated from the Academy of Our Lady, and in 1947, earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Saint Xavier College. She began her ministry at Catholic Charities for two years while attending graduate school.

After two years as a social worker and eight years as director of Mercy Clinics, Sister Gwendolyn became administrator/ chief executive officer of Mercy Hospital in 1963. She led what was then a 350-bed hospital, and helped plan and build the new Mercy Hospital and Medical Center that opened in 1968.

Just three weeks after being named CEO, Sister Gwendolyn was faced with a fire that broke out at the hospital. They safely evacuated 160 patients and had the fire under control before the fire department arrived. In the Daily Southtown, Sister Gwendolyn was quoted later as saying, “When I got through that, I realized I could get through anything.”

She would be tested again in 1967 when a major snow storm hit Chicago stranding thousands. The hospital opened its doors, providing shelter for some 250 who had made their way there.

According to Mercy Sister Susan Butters, to help feed the guests, she and Sister Gwendolyn went out into the street and brought back bread from several stalled bread trucks. “We met the driver of one of the trucks in our auditorium,” she said.

After 15 years with Mercy Hospital, she filled a variety of roles. From 1969 to 1970, she was a supervisor for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. After serving a brief time as a staff advisor for the Sisters of Mercy-Chicago Province, she was assistant administrator at Misericordia Home for a year.

From 1972 to 1976, she was director of outpatient services and then assistant administrator for Holy Cross Hospital, sponsored by the Sisters of St. Casimir.

Sister Gwendolyn returned to Mercy Hospital as vice president of human resources and general administration from 1976 to 1992. In 1994 she served as cochief executive officer for one year.