Sister Loretta Butler, OP, of the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill, New York, died on November 27, 2018 in Siena Hall in Dominican Convent, Sparkill, NY. She was 93 years old.
Born in St. Louis, MO on January 23, 1925, Mary Patricia was the daughter of Raymond & Loretta Cronin Butler. She entered the Dominican Congregation of Our Lady of the Rosary in Sparkill on September 8, 1942 and received the name Sister Loretta Marie. She professed her first vows in 1944 and her final vows in 1949.
Sister Loretta received her BA in French from Fontbonne College, St. Louis, MO, 1955; BA-MA Art, Pius XII Institute, Florence, Italy, 1960; MA in French, Columbia University, New York, 1968 and her Ph.D. Educational Psychology, Fordham University, New York, 1972.
Sister Loretta taught in the Archdiocese of St. Louis in St. Patrick Elementary School, Rolla, MO (1944-1945) and St. James Elementary School, St. Louis, MO (1945-1955). Returning to New York, Sister Loretta taught at Cathedral HS Annex, Bronx, NY (1955-1958); Albertus Magnus High School, Bardonia, NY (1959-1968) then returned as principal to Cathedral HS Annex (1968-1969) before going to Aquinas High School, Bronx, NY (1970-1971). Sister Loretta was an instructor at St. Thomas Aquinas College, Sparkill, NY (1974-1975); Assistant Dean of Education, Fordham University, New York, NY (1975-1979); Dean of Education, Regis College, Denver, CO (1979-1983); Assistant Dean at Bowling Green State University, Toledo, OH (1983-1984) before going to Catholic University, Washington, DC as a Visiting Scholar (1984-1985). Receiving a Fulbright Grant, Sister Loretta ministered in Bahawalpur, Pakistan (1985-1986). For the next ten years, Sister Loretta served as Associate Dean, Mt. St. Mary College, Newburgh, NY (1986-1996). Sister Loretta returned to teach in Pakistan (1996-1998) before becoming an Adjunct Professor, University of Missouri, St. Louis, MO (1999-2004). For three years, Sister Loretta was a Researcher for OPUS, a collaborative research project of the Dominican Sisters Conference, St. Louis, MO (2003-2005). In 2005, Sister Loretta retired to Dominican Convent, Sparkill, NY.
Sister Loretta Butler is predeceased by her parents Raymond and Mary Loretta Cronin Butler and her siblings Bill, Ray, Jack, Betty Jean and Bobby. She is survived by her brother, Russ, her sisters Dorothy Heldman, Lois Wiepreck and their families.
Sister Loretta Butler was a woman who made a difference in the lives of those who knew her. She served her God and congregation faithfully for more than seventy years as a Dominican Sister of Sparkill. We thank God for her life and we pray she may enjoy the fullness of life in the presence of the God she loved and so faithfully served. We will miss her presence among us.