Entered Life: November 19, 1924
Entered Religious Life: September 8, 1944
Entered Eternal Life:  November 5, 2023  

“To love God as He wishes.”

Celebration of Life Service
Livestreamed Service from 11/9/2023: Click here to watch service.

Wheaton Franciscan – Our Lady of the Angels Chapel
26W171 Roosevelt Road
Wheaton, Illinois   60187

Sister Mary Simpkin (Sr. Mary Patrick) was born November 19, 1924, in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, the daughter of Patrick H. Simpkin and Clara Parry Simpkin.

She entered the Loretto Sisters on September 8, 1944. Entered eternal life November 5, 2023. She taught in various schools in Sault Ste. Marie and in the Chicago area. She was principal of Loretto Academy in Chicago. In 1968, she helped establish the Loretto Extension Service which enables students to finish high school when personal situations would have prevented their graduation.

Sister Mary loved fly-tying, fly fishing, camping, and all the wonder of nature created by God.

She is survived by numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, four sisters, and two brothers.

Memorials may also be mailed to IBVM Development Office, Box 508, Wheaton, IL 60187.

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Funeral Reflection by Kay Foley, IBVM
November 9, 2023

The Saturday before Sister Mary passed away, I walked into her room at the Resurrection Life Center and was surprised to see a large banner hanging on the wall with these words: fish, eat, pray. I began to wonder if this was Sister Mary’s plan for a perfect way to start her day or could it be her “dream day.” She loved to fish! She also enjoyed eating and cooking fish. Many of us had the opportunity to experience her fish dinners when she would return from her yearly camping trip with her family. Those trips brought such joy to her. I’m sure that having that banner on her bedroom wall brought many wonderful memories of family reunions, fish stories, laughter, fun, singing and dancing. She was a real camper!

I was even more surprised when I discovered the readings that Mary had chosen for her funeral liturgy. She chose the very last chapter of St. John’s Gospel but she focused on the conversation that Jesus had with St. Peter. She skipped over the beginning of chapter 21 where Peter wants to go fishing and takes along his friends and relatives. They fished all night but caught nothing. Jesus comes along on the beach but they did not recognize him at first. He invites them to come ashore and eat breakfast with him. He also sees to it that they catch a bounty of fish to bring with them to the fish fry. Jesus shares what he has and does the cooking too. 

Then comes the very intimate and loving conversation that transpires between Jesus and Peter: Jesus asks Peter “Simon Peter, son of John, do you love Me?” “Yes, Lord, You know that I love you.”  Then Jesus replied, “Tend My lambs.”

Simon Peter took these words of Jesus very seriously. “Tend my lambs”…the little ones, the weak, the most vulnerable. Sister Mary took these words very seriously also. She taught the children in Sault Ste Marie, MI, Chicago, Carol Stream, and wherever she could find children. She was principal at Loretto Academy in Woodlawn at a very difficult time in our city. She recognized the need to support students who struggled with situations that hindered their ability to complete their high school education. Sister Mary Simpkin truly tended the lambs that came her way.

Jesus continued to ask Simon Peter the same question two more times.  Each time Simon Peter answered in the same way, “You know that I do love you.” The 2^nd time Jesus replied with, “Shepherd My sheep.”  The 3rd time Jesus replied with, “Tend My sheep.” “Shepherd” means to Pastor, Lead, Show the way forward. “Tend” means to be attentive, loving, caring, walking beside and tender. Sister Mary Simpkin truly tended lambs, shepherded sheep and tended sheep. I’m sure that Mary received a big hug and heard the words, “Well done, Sister Mary, and thank you for all your shepherding and tending.

Sister Mary loved Creation. Being outdoors in the sunshine brought her great joy. The earth itself was magnificent to her. Daily she walked in the beauty of the land. It was there that she fell in love with a huge white tree that had to be at least 200 years old. She could tell you stories about her tree and some of its history. It was very old, stood very tall but did not have any branches for anyone to climb or leaves that needed to be mowed. Her beloved tree had fulfilled its lifetime and was “just being” in retirement. Mary would tell you that she and her tree were very much alike in many, many ways.

Besides loving the earth and all its gifts and blessings, Sister Mary also loved the creatures of the earth, great and small! One day, Sister Mary and I were returning from a funeral of one our sisters. After parking the car and walking to the back door, I told Mary that when I came earlier that morning I saw a small little bird just sitting on the sidewalk. The bird did not move. It simply set itself down near the door. As we approached the bird, it remained in its position. Sister Mary bent down to look at it more closely. Her hands were open and the little bird hopped into Mary’s hand. Neither of us could believe what we were seeing! At that point, Sister Mary said that she was taking the bird inside to keep him warm. As I opened the door, the bird took off and flew up into a tree and perched on a branch. We could hear him chirping. We both sensed that the bird was giving us a message from our beloved Sister Mary Ann White. “Free at last, Free at last. Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last.”

Thank you, Sister Mary, for being such a devoted member of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary. You taught us to love each other and cherish the earth and all of God’s Creation. For this, we are eternally grateful.