Sr. Mary Keough, Csjp Obituary (1923 - 2019)

1923 - 2019 Born on May 14, 1923 in Nelson, British Columbia, Sister Mary is Irish on both sides of her family. She grew up in Revelstoke, B.C. and trained as a nurse in Victoria, B.C. With her R.N. in hand, Sister Mary entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in 1949. She was given Sister Terence as her name in religious life. Sister Mary was missioned to work in the CSJP hospitals and served as nurse in Wenatchee and Bellingham, WA, Rossland, B.C. and Ketchikan, AK. She received a B.S. degree in nursing from Seattle U. in 1961 and then was sent to St. Louis University in 1964 to earn a Masters in Health Administration. She served as Administrator for Ketchikan General Hospital for six years and St. John Hospital, Longview, WA for five years. The direction of Sister Mary's ministry changed in 1976. She studied in the School of Applied Theology, Berkeley, during a sabbatical year, and then returned to hospital life in a new role, as a Chaplain at Sacred Heart Hospital, Eugene, OR. Three years later, she accepted the challenge of nursing in the vastly different culture and climate of Yemen. Sister Mary returned from Yemen to continue ministry in the hospitals, in administration and quality management. She also continued to hear and answer a call from the poor and marginalized peoples of our world, and in 1990-91 she worked in the kitchen at Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Deschapelles, Haiti. She described the hospital as an "oasis in the midst of this impoverished country." Writing home from Haiti, she said, "a pig is resting himself outside my kitchen window and four baby goats are at the front door. On her return to the United States, Sister Mary ministered at St. Joseph Hospital, Bellingham. She retired and moved to St. Mary-on-the-Lake in 1992. When she celebrated her 50th Jubilee, in 2000, she said, "I am grateful to those in the CSJP community who have been and are on the journey with me. I am thankful for the community's support, which I have been able to count on all the way." A Vigil Service will be held on Thursday, December 5th at 4:00pm The Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, December 6th at 10:00am BOTH services will be held at St. Mary-on-the-Lake 1663 Killarney Way, Bellevue, 98004. Burial, Holyrood Catholic Cemetery In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace Retirement Fund PO Box 248, Bellevue, WA 98009. To send a flower arrangement in memory of Sr. Mary Keough, CSJP, please click here to visit our sympathy store.