Sister of the Living Word Mary Louise Coccimiglio, 87, died Jan. 13. She resided at the Resurrection Life Center.

Born in Detroit, she served at Josephinum High School; as a volunteer with RCIA at Our Lady of the Wayside, Arlington Heights; and in Missouri and Michigan.

Passionist Father Eric Meyer, 84, died Jan. 13. He was the former pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish on Talcott Avenue.

Father Meyer was born in Chicago and attended St. Ita School before entering the Passionist seminary. He earned a doctorate in theology in Munster, Germany.

He entered the community in 1959 and was ordained a priest in 1966.

Meyer taught theology at Catholic Theological Union and at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, and ministered at the Newman Center at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. He was associate pastor and then the last Passionist pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish (2005-2013).

Rose Hegarty, former business manager at Immaculate Conception Parish, remembered Father Meyer as a good man, very dedicated to the church. “He had a golden heart, and always felt sorry for people who needed help,” Hegarty said.

He is survived by his brother, James Meyer.

Maryknoll Father Edward J. Whelan, 88, died Jan. 16 in Maryknoll, New York.

Father Whelan was born in Chicago and attended St. Angela School and St. Ignatius High School before entering Maryknoll in 1952. He was ordained a priest in 1961.

He taught English at Maryknoll collegiate institutions in Glen Ellyn and in Pennsylvania, and earned a doctorate in English at St. Louis University before being sent to Korea.

From 1972 to 2022, Father Whelan ministered for almost 40 years in South Korea and 10 years in northeast China, serving as a pastor and an English professor and establishing two early childhood special education centers, one in Cheongiu City, South Korea, and one in China. He also helped establish a day care center for adults with severe intellectual disabilities in Cheongiu.

In 2022, Father Whelan returned to Maryknoll, New York.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Joris Binder, 84, died Jan. 22 in Footville, Wisconsin.

Born in Gary, Indiana, Sister Joris made her first religious profession in 1958 and her perpetual profession in 1961. She was a teacher and administrator and worked in residence life leadership at the University of Notre Dame and led the Hesburgh Sabbatical Program at Catholic Theological Union.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught (1968-1973) and was a counselor (1970-1973) at St. Philip the Apostle School, Northfield, and was codirector of the Hesburgh Sabbatical Program (now Hesburgh Renewal Program) at Catholic Theological Union (1998-2001).

She is survived by a brother, George Binder Jr.

Deacon Joseph Pepitone, 81, died Jan. 11. He was ordained in 1982 and ministered for 40 years at St. John of the Cross Parish, Western Springs.

Born in Chicago, he attended Austin High School and DePaul University. He worked in sales for the McGraw-Hill Companies, and after he retired, he was a paraeducator for 10 years at Lyons Township High School.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mary; his children Melissa Glimco, Joseph Pepitone and Anthony Pepitone; seven grandchildren and his siblings Ann Donatello, Francine Erenburg and John Pepitone.