Sister Celeste Leger, OP, of the Dominican Sisters, Sparkill, New York, died on December 31, 2016 in Siena Hall, Sparkill, NY.
Born in Staten Island, New York on October 25, 1923, Celeste was the daughter of Elzear and Charlotte Hall Leger. She entered the Dominican Congregation of Our Lady of the Rosary in Sparkill on September 8, 1946 and received the name Sister Mary Celeste. She professed her first vows in 1948 and her final vows in 1953.
Sister Celeste received a BS in Education, Fordham University, New York in 1954, her MS in History from St. John’s University, New York in 1957 and her Ph.D. from City University of New York in 1971.
Sister Celeste was a teacher in St. Joseph School, Bronx, NY (1948-1950), Epiphany School, St. Louis, MO (1950-1951), Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Richmond Hill, NY (1953-1956), Aquinas High School, Bronx, NY (1956-1965) and St. Thomas Aquinas College, Sparkill, NY (1968-1998) before offering her services at Dominican Convent.
Sister Celeste is predeceased by her parents Elzear and Charlotte Leger. She is survived by her sisters Lucille Blessin and Charlotte Leger and nieces Celeste Blessin, Pam Maddalena and nephew Peter Blessin.
Sister Celeste was a very loving, kind and caring person. She served her God and congregation faithfully for over seventy years as a Dominican Sister of Sparkill. We thank God for her life and her goodness and we pray she be brought swiftly into the fullness of joy in the presence of the God she loved and so faithfully served. We will miss her presence among us.